georgetown law supplemental essays

How to Write the Georgetown Supplemental Essays: Examples + Guide 2024/2025

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• How to write each supplemental essay prompt for Georgetown
• Prompt #1: “Special talents/skills” essay
• Prompt #2: “Extracurricular activity” essay
• Prompt #3: “Personal/creative” essay
• Prompt #4: School-specific essays

Located in Washington, DC, and providing an outstanding academic experience, expansive internship opportunities, and robust collegiate athletics, it isn’t hard to see why Georgetown is a popular college choice for many social seniors. Georgetown’s application offers a traditional blend of writing prompts, including a personal statement, a “Why us?” essay for several of its colleges, and an extracurricular essay. Though the prompts may be standard, the tips, ideas, and examples below can help you stand out from the field. 

Before you begin writing, you may want to get deeper insights into the kind of student Georgetown is looking for, and how it views itself. You’ll find an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set . For a better sense of how Georgetown envisions its role in academia and how it wants to grow and evolve, read its strategic plan .

What are Georgetown's supplemental essay prompts?

Please elaborate on any special talents or skills you would like to highlight. (250 words)

Briefly (approximately one-half page, single-spaced) discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.

For all applicants: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your own background, identity, skills, and talents. (Approximately one page, single-spaced)

Prompt #4: School Specific Essays

APPLICANTS TO GEORGETOWN COLLEGE: Founded in 1789, the Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences is committed to the Jesuit traditions of an integrated education and of productive research in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. Describe your interest in studying at College of Arts & Sciences. Applicants interested in the sciences, mathematics, or languages are encouraged to make specific references to their choice of major. (Approximately one page, single-spaced)

APPLICANTS TO THE SCHOOL OF HEALTH: Georgetown University’s School of Health was founded to advance the health and well-being of people locally, nationally, and globally through innovative research, the delivery of interdisciplinary education, and transformative engagement of communities. Describe the factors that influenced your interest in studying healthcare at Georgetown University, specifically addressing your intended related major: Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science. (Approximately one page, single-spaced)

APPLICANTS TO THE SCHOOL OF NURSING: Georgetown University’s School of Nursing is committed to the formation of ethical, empathetic, and transformational nursing leaders. Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying Nursing at Georgetown. (Approximately one page, single-spaced)

APPLICANTS TO THE WALSH SCHOOL OF FOREIGN SERVICE: Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders with the foundational skills to address global issues. Describe your primary motivations for studying international affairs at Georgetown University and dedicating your undergraduate studies towards a future in global service. (Approximately one page, single-spaced)

APPLICANTS TO THE MCDONOUGH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business provides graduates with essential, global, ethical, analytical, financial, and diverse perspectives on the economies of our nation and the world. Describe your primary motivations for studying business at Georgetown University. (Approximately one page, single-spaced)

How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for Georgetown University

How to write georgetown supplemental essay prompt #1.

Picking a Topic:

While you may have heard us encourage students to write with focus, preferring a deep dive on one topic over a brief mention of many, this prompt asks for talents and skills , so don’t hesitate to touch on your numerous abilities you haven’t had a chance to show elsewhere in your app.

To get started, set a timer for three minutes . Then, list as many skills and talents as you can. Don’t limit yourself to the ones you’d put on a job application. Consider talents large (communicating) and small (sharpening pencils just the right way), academic (naming any Shakespeare play based on only a couple lines) and non-academic (knowing which one of your siblings are home based on how many dishes are in the sink). For this essay, and especially for this brainstorm, almost any idea can work. 

Have your list ready? Ok. Pick four to seven of your favorite ones. Choose a variety—this is a great chance to add some personality to your application, share some of your quirks, and show you’re a well-rounded applicant. 

Here’s a strong example:

Over time, I have worked to develop a vocabulary whose nuance reflects the thoughtfulness with which I view the world. To do that, every day after school, I add a branch to my word board. * * * Meraki— a Greek word— means  “to do something with soul, creativity, or love,” to leave a piece of yourself in your work. When I play the harp, I select pieces that lay bare my inner condition.  At home, I cook with meraki: my brother has many dietary restrictions, and my desire to give him satisfying meals drives me to innovate new recipes that redefine his experience of eating.   * * * Array is a term in programming that means “index out of bounds error.”  When I founded Code Autism and invented RIPPL, I looked “out of bounds” to bring these ideas into reality.  * * *   Sonder— the notion that each person has a life as complex as your own— is expressed as well in my relationship with my brother. As he is nonverbal, I have learned to interpret his facial expressions and emotional needs without speech, something that informs my interactions with others on a daily basis.  * * *  毅力, or perseverance, informs not only my role in my family, but also my physical pursuits.  As a result of studying Tae Kwon Do, I have mastered one hundred consecutive push-ups and can break a wooden board with a jumping roundhouse kick. As a blue belt, I am empowered to defend not only myself, but also others.  — — —

Tips + Analysis:

Share different sides of yourself. By choosing to share her talent for curating a nuanced vocabulary, this writer is able to touch on her interests in playing harp, cooking, taking care of her brother, programming, and Tae Kwon Do. 

Ground your special talents and skills to values.  Notice how the author does this in the example above (harp → vulnerability, cooking → care, programming → service, Tae Kwon Do → discipline, defending others). 

Show range by balancing the academic/impressive with the personal/human. A young woman who founds a non-profit like Code Autism and invents an app like RIPPL is likely to impress a reader, but the impact is enhanced by the humility of caretaking for her brother. Her toughness is showcased through Tae Kwon Do, but balanced with the vulnerability of composing for the harp.

How to Write Georgetown Supplemental Essay prompt #2

This is your basic extracurricular activity essay, and will double with many other prompts from other schools. Already written an extracurricular essay you love? Copy, paste, and call it a day.

If not, you can view a thorough, step-by-step guide to writing the essay at this link , or keep reading here for some tips on choosing a topic and a strong sample essay written specifically for Georgetown.

Picking a Topic

Here are a few steps you can take to identify a topic. 

Go to your activities list and pick 2-3 possible topics.

Go through the BEABIES exercise (either mentally or by filling out the chart) to decide which topic might yield the most content. 

Double check with your personal statement to make sure you’re showing some side of yourself that’s not currently being discussed at length there. 

Let’s check a couple examples.

Example: Narrative + Overcoming a Challenge

Because this student is writing about overcoming a challenge, she uses a narrative structure, telling a linear story and explaining what she walked away with. 

If there were a “cry graph” for the number of times students at my school broke down from freshman to junior year, it would increase exponentially. We often found ourselves weeping together in philosophy class, one of the only safe spaces to open up emotionally about the constant pressure we all experienced. I was alarmed at the number of times I heard “I’m going to kill myself” in the classroom on a daily basis, and my closest friend confessed that she considered quitting school. In short, my school community was very, very stressed. These red flags led me to decide that it was time to change the picture of the cry graph and create a space other than philosophy class where we could support each other, so I founded the Psychology and Mental Health Club. I researched empirically proven de-stressing methods, and found that yoga, art therapy, and canine therapy can lower blood pressure and cortisol levels while increasing oxytocin levels. I organized stretching and doodle sessions, and collaborated with the library to host therapy dogs so that students could ‘paws’ and relax. After each event, we asked students to indicate their mood before and after; 96% of students responded that their stress decreased.  I am elated to say that the Mental Health Club seems to have successfully reversed the ‘cry graph.’ We have become a mindful, supportive, tight-knit community, and we are no longer defined by anxiety--rather, we are now defined by our dedication to mental health awareness and balance. I have received numerous requests to continue and expand the club’s work, so we plan to hold our sessions every two weeks, and to introduce meditation, calming music, herbal teas, and other mindfulness activities that I continue to explore. — — —

This author uses her extracurricular essay to explain how she overcame a challenge in her school community. You can find a whole host of tips and ideas for this narrative style extracurricular essay here , but the following are a few quick takeaways:

Raise the stakes. We need to know why we should care about the challenge your extracurricular activity is working to solve. When this author shares the commonality of hearing students’ suicidal ideation, we can see why this is an important problem to solve. 

Be specific about what you did. This author not only explains that she created a club, she also details both the distinct steps she took to generate a solution and the specific services her club offered. 

If possible, share quantitative outcomes. We all probably trusted that the therapy dog sessions were effective (see: any puppy ever), but this author drives that point home with data : 96% of post-session student responses showed a decrease in stress. 

Example: Montage + Making Connections

This student uses a montage structure for his essay, using different aspects of the extracurricular activity (debate) to demonstrate interest and achievement in a whole host of areas (philosophy, critical thinking, public service, self-awareness, self control)

Initially, debate seemed nonsensical: lambasting opponents while arguing improbable scenarios. But over time I’ve learned that it’s more than competition that drives me to stay up all night looking for evidence: I love learning about the political and ideological underpinnings of our society and the way they shape us. On an easy debate tournament weekend, I research foreign diplomatic agendas and synthesize the information into coherent debate evidence. When tournaments become more hectic, however, I delve deeper into the works of philosophers and social critics and translate the knowledge into debate argumentation. While researching foreign policy, critical theory like Heideggerian phenomenology and constitutional details, I’ve developed an ability to critically analyze argumentation, make sense of the world around me and creatively express myself in an academic setting. My hard work has paid off. In the past four tournaments, I’ve received a Top 10 speaker award for the varsity division consisting of about 50 debaters. This trend has increased my credibility in my debate league to such a level that my partner and I were invited to participate in a series of public debates at LA City Hall to defend the water policy for the drought. The opportunity allowed me to actually impact the public’s awareness and accept a larger responsibility in the workings of my community. More importantly, however, debate has taught me to strategically choose my battles. When I prepare my arguments, I know that I can’t use all of them in the end of a round. I have to focus. I’ve learned to maximize my strengths and not try to conquer everything. Moreover, I’ve learned to be responsible with my choices. A wrong argument can mean losing if we can’t defend well. Not only do I now know how to zoom in from a bigger picture, but I also know how to pick the right place to zoom in to so I can achieve my goal. Debate has turned me into an responsible optimizing, scrutinizing and strategizing orator.  — — —

As with the earlier example, you can find a wealth of tips for an “uncommon connections” style here . You can also find some distilled tips and ideas below. 

Identify skills and learnings you’ve gained from the extracurricular activity, and where else those skills show up. This author has three primary takeaways from debate: an interest in philosophy, becoming a more vocal and active community member, and the ability to choose his battles. In your essay, you can earn bonus points by highlighting unexpected places those skills have shown up. This author could have cited the way she applied a philosophical concept to a drama performance she did, or how her participation in the LA City Hall debates led to her attending a climate march. 

Organize your essay effectively by addressing each connection in its own paragraph. One possible structure for each paragraph is:

Name the skill or takeaway

How does it show up in your extracurricular activity?

How does it show up somewhere else, possibly unexpectedly?

Summarize the takeaways clearly. This is even more important if your takeaways are uncommon or unexpected. This author names each outcome of her engagement with the debate team in her closing sentence: responsibility, efficiency, a critical eye, and the ability to strategize.

How to Write Georgetown Supplemental Essay #3

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your own background, identity, skills, and talents. (Approximately one page, single-spaced)

Your Common App personal statement will usually also work well for this Georgetown prompt. Generally, “approx 1 page” means around 600 words. According to the G’town admission office, though, the essay just needs to fit on one page. Don’t push that too far (we don’t want readers running to find a magnifying glass), but we suggest writing a draft that’s around 600 words and making it fit after the fact. 

Here’s an example of a Common App personal statement that doubled nicely for this Georgetown prompt.

The ocean has always been outside my door. I’ve moved several times within my home state of Connecticut, but even in unfamiliar places I’ve always been able to rely on its presence.  The ocean reminds me of the good in my life: boating with my family in the summer months, and lobstering as the weather grew colder. I loved it despite my father throwing me into a bloom of sea jellies when I was eight. This love and appreciation grew as I became older, along with my desire to learn more, so this past summer I worked as a camp counselor at the Mystic Aquarium. I expected to learn about young children and camp activities, but I actually learned a lot about human behavior by observing sea life. As a camp counselor, I was in charge of sixteen 3-6 year-olds. I was thrown into a world of snacks, line up ropes, and play time. Each of the kids had their very own personality, aptly developed in their few years on earth. I was asked a billion questions: “How many penguins are there?” (36), “How deep can a seal dive?” (300 to 400 feet for up to 30 minutes). I learned new ways to interact and communicate with the kids. I talked slower, used fewer words, and developed a deep curiosity for the students' favorite colors. What I had not expected was that I would also be learning, and that the animals would be my teachers. For example, the six sea lions live together in an outdoor enclosure. While many people assume the 1,100 pound male Astro runs their simulated outdoor environment, it is actually the 300 pound older female named Eden. She may not look in charge, but as the matriarch she keeps order. Eden taught me that even though I may not be big and scary, I can still lead. Whether as Head of Student Activities, organizing bonding activities for students, or as Head of our ‘Bowl-A-Thon’ fundraiser, I can use my skills—communication, empathy, and resourcefulness, among others—to be an effective leader.  The 36 penguins also live in their own community. They groom each other, swim, and eat together. Penguins gather together for warmth and protection, and all newcomers are welcomed into the community. This reminds me of my freshman year when I left home for the first time. I felt lost in my new habitat, but now, almost four years later, I have found my space and a group of girls who have become my community. They have been my support system, and my school has become a second home. Clams are essential to many ecosystems, yet are often overlooked by the aquarium’s guests. One of our giant clams (so overlooked he doesn’t even have a name) was facing a death sentence due to the deterioration of the valve holding his shell together. A team of aquarists came together and used their resources to keep the clam alive. He became the little guy everyone was rooting for. As I moved to new schools (five in total), I often felt like an overlooked clam. Now as I find myself becoming one of the oldest at my school, I look out for clams in need of some extra care and find a way to keep them together.  When people think of aquariums they typically conjure up images of exotic fish, dolphins, belugas, and turtles. These large sea creatures usually assume the spotlight, but there are many others, and even the smallest clam has an important role in its community. I have learned the inherent and foundational value of hard, often unseen work, along with the well earned grandeur of larger, outward-facing accomplishments. One is essential to the other. The ocean has highlighted for me the value of everyone’s contributions and the importance of community, qualities which will serve me well in college and beyond. — — —

Reach for Less Common Connections. People read essays about sports and expect them to be about hard work. They read essays about volunteering and expect them to be about selflessness. You know what they don’t expect? An essay about an aquarium really being about human nature. The less common connections made throughout this story help paint a unique picture of the writer. And note that while the less common topic (aquarium) helps, it’s the connections and insights that are more important. Meaning you can possibly make essays about sports and volunteering work—you’ll just have to spend a good chunk of time exploring how they connect to things we probably don’t expect them to (like, say, literature, or healthy boundaries, or…).

Let details be your voice. We learn, for example, that the writer worked with “3-6” year olds in the third paragraph of the essay. But rather than simply saying, “they asked me a lot of questions,” the writer uses specific details to put us in those moments. More than just simply relaying questions the kids asked, the writer also intersperses each question with their own narration (e.g., “‘How many penguins are there?’ (36)”). The details help us experience what the author did, while offering elements of voice that communicate the writer’s depth of understanding.

The thread is your guide. This writer’s montage essay consists of a series of examples of life-lessons learned through different experiences working at the Mystic Aquarium. The aquarium is their guiding thread . Using specific examples from their work related to that thread, they manage to reveal various key insights. Ultimately, each example (i.e., the clams, sea lions, penguins, and 3-6 year olds) reveals something about how the writer has come to understand the importance of an individual’s contributions in the context of a group. That’s some pretty cool stuff coming from an essay about an aquarium. A key takeaway: your “topic” is really just an excuse to help a college see the values/insights/skills/qualities/interests you bring to the campus.

How to Write Georgetown Supplemental Essay Prompt #4

Depending on which college within Georgetown you’re applying to, you’ll have a different prompt to address here.

APPLICANTS TO GEORGETOWN COLLEGE: Founded in 1789, the Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences is committed to the Jesuit traditions of an integrated education and of productive research in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. Describe your interest in studying at College of Arts & Sciences. Applicants interested in the sciences, mathematics, or languages are encouraged to make specific references to their choice of major. (Approximately one page, single-spaced) APPLICANTS TO THE SCHOOL OF HEALTH: Georgetown University’s School of Health was founded to advance the health and well-being of people locally, nationally, and globally through innovative research, the delivery of interdisciplinary education, and transformative engagement of communities. Describe the factors that influenced your interest in studying healthcare at Georgetown University, specifically addressing your intended related major: Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science. (Approximately one page, single-spaced) APPLICANTS TO THE SCHOOL OF NURSING: Georgetown University’s School of Nursing is committed to the formation of ethical, empathetic, and transformational nursing leaders. Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying Nursing at Georgetown. (Approximately one page, single-spaced) APPLICANTS TO THE WALSH SCHOOL OF FOREIGN SERVICE: Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders with the foundational skills to address global issues. Describe your primary motivations for studying international affairs at Georgetown University and dedicating your undergraduate studies towards a future in global service. (Approximately one page, single-spaced) APPLICANTS TO THE MCDONOUGH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business provides graduates with essential, global, ethical, analytical, financial, and diverse perspectives on the economies of our nation and the world. Describe your primary motivations for studying business at Georgetown University. (Approximately one page, single-spaced) Notice that, at their core, most of these prompts are asking for a “Why [X school at] Georgetown?”

At their core, most of these prompts are asking for a “Why Georgetown?” response. Here’s a complete guide on how to write the “Why us?” essay —read through it and pay close attention to the “Why Cornell” and “Why Penn” examples (our favorites).

A note on Georgetown College:  

Founded in 1789, the Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences is committed to the Jesuit traditions of an integrated education and of productive research in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. Describe your interest in studying at College of Arts & Sciences. Applicants interested in the sciences, mathematics, or languages are encouraged to make specific references to their choice of major. (Approximately one page, single-spaced)

This is a pretty straightforward “Why Us” prompt.

As you write yours, be sure you’re demonstrating how your interests connect to/are driven by your core values (and note GTown’s direct value of “ restless inquiry ”).

Action Items:

Reflect on what you want out of your college experience. Collect those insights using this chart . Identifying specific or niche interests and needs will help you find equally specific resources at Georgetown and make your “we’re a perfect match” (see more on this at the “complete guide” link above) case more compelling. 

Spend at least an hour researching 10+ reasons why Georgetown might be a great fit for you, mapping them out in the third column of the chart. 

Remember, we don’t want to prove that Georgetown is the best school for every student—we want to prove that it’s the best fit for you. This means that, for all the specifics you provide about Georgetown, you’ll also want to explain why those specifics appeal specifically to you . You’ll see examples of this in the sample essay below. 

Create an outline based on either Approach One, Approach Two (recommended), or Approach 3 (as explained in our “Why us?” guide ). 

Also note that although they explicitly encourage “applicants to the sciences, mathematics, public policy or languages… to include examples related to that field,” you could definitely tailor your examples to your academic interests even if they’re not included in any of the ones named. With that in mind, this essay can take on a bit of a “ Why Major? ” flavor in which your “mini-movie” is related to some formative class / book / event / etc… from your past.

A note on the Walsh School of Foreign Service: 

Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders with the foundational skills to address global issues. Describe your primary motivations for studying international affairs at Georgetown University and dedicating your undergraduate studies towards a future in global service. (Approximately one page, single-spaced)

The Walsh School of Foreign Service is one of the most well-regarded programs in the country for students interested in global issues and international relations. So this essay needs to be next-level if you want to have a chance. Here are some quick tips: 

Committing to a college path dedicated to developing the tools needed to address worldwide issues is heady stuff, and it typically comes from a deep-seated desire to not just to help others but do so on a global scale. So what’s the story of your inspiration? Why foreign service? Was it a personal experience that had a profound effect on your outlook on the world? Or do you have a more general interest in effecting lasting change? If so, why?  To brainstorm some ideas, it may help to think of this as a “Why Major” essay, with foreign service as the “major.” Here’s a complete guide to the “Why Major” essay .

You might use this as an opportunity to describe work you’ve done around a particular issue, one that stirred in you an intense urge to tackle a specific global concern. Past students, for example, have described work they’ve been doing on gender rights, the climate crisis, and everything in between. If this sounds like you …

Consider doing the Powerwall exercise to tease out some material—only, in addition to “what you did” and the “impact you had,” you’ll want to add a 7th, even more important component: what impact do you hope to have in the future? And maybe even: How can SFS equip you to do that?

In answering the last sentence of the prompt, consider describing how the work/research you’ve done on a significant issue has revealed to you how complex this issue is. What makes it complex? What are the forces in play? How has that inspired a future in foreign service? Show us how your brain works, and how your heart is fully engaged. 

If you do choose to write about a specific topic of global significance, become a semi-expert on your topic. In other words, research it enough so that you’re pretty sure you know more than your reader about it. This may take some time, but it’s worth it. Chances are, other students applying to SFS have spent considerable time either working on or studying their topic of choice, so showing you know your stuff will improve your chances of standing out.

Quick Note: If all this sounds way too intense, ask yourself: Do I want to be a Hoya? Or do I really, really want to go to SFS? If you’re not super interested in/excited about being in SFS, maybe consider just applying to Georgetown. If you’re not sure, definitely do some more research.

Georgetown College essay example

Cynefin : a Welsh word for a place where a being feels it ought to be; it is where nature feels right and welcoming.  It is both a concept that gets right to the heart of my cultural roots and an expression of my first experience at Georgetown.  It was a chilly but beautiful autumn day; the heated, yet compassionate debates and cozy atmosphere of the campus warded off the cold.  There were no words to describe my feelings—in English. However, later on, I connected those ineffable emotions to cynefin .  To me, Georgetown has the potential to vault me to self-actualization, the all-encompassing fulfillment of my potential, both as an individual and as a member of society.   For me, education includes every element of me as a person, and Georgetown’s focus on this is what makes it truly special.  At Georgetown, computer science isn’t just about technical understanding; it is also about comprehending the ethical implications of technology on society, as illustrated by Georgetown’s STIA program. Since attending the Cambridge Scholars Program and writing my capstone thesis linking Mrs. Dalloway and Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, I have sought out unconventional connections between complex subjects. The Ethics Lab at Georgetown will allow me to do that kind of work, connecting crypto-currency and emerging economies and considering the human effects of developing technology. I can also be involved in some of the numerous projects that are occurring through the Georgetown Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. I also hope to develop mentoring relationships with professors like Lisa Singh, who conducted research on the relationship between social media and gun violence. Her use of crowdsourced data could inform the further development of my app, RIPPL, which similarly incorporates user reported data to track toxic algae blooms. Moreover, the wealth of diverse research projects at Georgetown would enable me to explore new aspects of computer science, such as cybersecurity and cryptography. Georgetown’s appeal isn’t only rooted in computer science; language, literature, and music also fascinate me.  Having studied Chinese since the second grade, I plan to continue learning about Chinese language and culture by participating in Georgetown’s initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues.  Georgetown also offers literature courses that serve as a compliment to computer science, such as Professor Pireddu’s “The Writing Factory: Science, Machines, and the Technology of the Word in 20th-Century Italian Literature”.  The harp has been my musical passion for eight years, and I intend to nurture that passion further through Georgetown LEAP and the GU Orchestra. Branching out beyond my STEM specialty in such ways is key to my vision of education.   Another critical aspect of that vision is exposure to the perspective of others.  Currently, I’m a board member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at my school.  I’m aware of my own limited perspective, and I hope to build on my current DEI work at Georgetown by joining ERASE (educating students about social inequality) where I can interact with, and learn from, a variety of different people, across cultural, racial, political, and social differences.   It’s equally important to me that I contribute to Georgetown in my own way. My program, Code Autism, aims to empower the autistic community through teaching coding.  Just as Best Buddies began at Georgetown, I believe Georgetown could be the well from which Code Autism springs, as it has the capacity to become an impactful and wide-reaching organization on both a local and national level. Georgetown’s motto is “cura personalis”—education of the whole person.  This exemplifies my own view of education.  Just as I felt that day when I visited the campus, I feel now that cynefin best defines what Georgetown is to me: a place where my passions, values, intellect, and aspirations are elevated and can be at home. — — — 

You can find a robust list of ways to make your “Why us?” essay stand out in our full guide, but here are a few takeaways from this example:

The author identifies her own interests and needs. After attending an academic program, she developed an interest in “seeking out unconventional connections between complex subjects.” This makes her mention of Georgetown’s Ethics Lab more compelling. Similarly, she shares her work with Code Autism, being on the DEI committee at her school, and her creation of RIPPL, all of which connect to a resource on campus. 

Rather than simply naming the course/opportunity at Georgetown that interests you, show how you fit together. This student, for example, doesn’t just name the Ethics Lab, she writes, “I have sought out unconventional connections between complex subjects. The Ethics Lab at Georgetown will allow me to do that kind of work, connecting crypto-currency and emerging economies and considering the human effects of developing technology.” As a general rule, try to make sure every detail you mention about GTown is connected back to your interests and values.  

Through those details and “so whats”, show how you and Georgetown align. As you connect details back to you, be sure that you’re demonstrating some of your core values, especially if we aren’t seeing them in one of your other Georgetown essays. And ideally, show your some of your values are the same as Georgetown’s values .

4. APPLICANTS TO THE WALSH SCHOOL OF FOREIGN SERVICE

In the last quarter of 2019, the Lebanese people, suffering from dire economic conditions, had been protesting their government’s inefficiencies, corruption, and inability to govern, demanding the resignation of its sectarian leaders. People from across different sects—Sunnis, Shias, Christians—united in an attempt to overthrow the ruling government.  At the root of the crisis is the makeup of Lebanon’s sectarian government, which was solidified as a solution to end the Civil War in 1990. The system divides power evenly among the three religious groups fighting for control of Lebanon—with the presidency allocated to a Maronite Christian, the prime ministership to a Sunni Muslim, and Speaker of Parliament to a Shia Muslim. However, while the system ended the war, it created new challenges by turning warlords into politicians loyal only to each of their own religious factions. As the government became a source of personal gain, the Lebanese people were forced to rely on patronage and clientelism, feigning allegiance to their religiously affiliated political parties to gain basic needs such as a job, healthcare, or education.  The situation came to a head on August 4, 2020, after two consecutive explosions shook Beirut, leaving nearly 200 dead, 6,500 injured, 300,000 displaced, and US$10-15 billion in damage. The explosions took place in Lebanon’s main port, in a storage facility that illegally stored ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive chemical, triggering a new round of demonstrations over the government’s mismanagement. Using the slogan “all of them means all of them,” the Lebanese people demanded the government’s entire ruling body step down, but while the Prime Minister resigned, the corrupt sectarian government remained in power.  This sectarian power divide has made Lebanon vulnerable to foreign interference in addition to its implications for the people of Lebanon. While Shia leaders aligned with Iran, the Sunnis are with the U.S.-allied Arab Gulf states, and the Christians are with France. With the backing of foreign nations, the different factions within Lebanon have become emboldened to spread their ideology throughout the Middle East and beyond. The Shia faction, called Hezbollah, has funded terrorist groups in other countries, such as Yemen, Bahrain, and Iraq, threatening the safety of the global community. As a Bahraini, I feel a special bond to Lebanon. Ours are two of the few Middle Eastern countries with religious and ethnic diversity, and their people have coexisted and intermarried over centuries. I am a product of that diversity: a half-Sunni and half-Shia, like many in Lebanon. It saddens me that although the people of Lebanon are united despite their sects’ differences, their government’s system divides them, threatening their safety and the peace and prosperity of the region. The Lebanese government should follow Bahrain's example in how it resolved protests and brewing conflicts that erupted from the Arab Spring: launch an independent inquiry to investigate human rights violations and initiate a national dialogue, which can be a first step toward restoring human rights and establishing a merit-based democratic system of governance. The leadership must take advantage of the French government’s support and President Macron’s proposal for international financial aid, which is conditioned on the government’s economic and political reforms and was also welcomed by the wealthy Gulf Arab states. But this international support requires serious political and economic steps inside Lebanon. Even if the sectarian power-sharing system cannot be abolished (or will not abolish itself), it has to reset its priorities so that all three offices of the government provide the Lebanese people with basic rights. This national dialogue must generate a plan of action that focuses on economic prosperity, not sect loyalty, and abolishes the government’s use of quotas when filling its jobs.  — — —

Tips + Analysis

Dive deep into your chosen global issue. This essay manages to offer a nuanced view on the protests in Lebanon despite its (necessary) brevity—no easy feat. Readers have no doubt that this writer understands the complexities of the geopolitical situation they’re describing. The writer seems as though they’ve already worked to develop the kind of understanding we’d expect them to explore freshman year at Georgetown. Language like this shows that the writer understands how complex situations are built on one another.

Make it personal. Though this writer is not Lebanese, they find various ways to connect their experiences to their overarching topic (e.g., “As a Bahraini,” and “a half-Sunni and half-Shia, like many in Lebanon”). This personal connection reinforces our understanding of the writer's genuine interest in the issue; the writer isn’t just interested in global affairs as an abstract concept, but sees its impact on an experiential level.

How will you play a role? No one expects you to have solved a massive geopolitical conflict before entering college (though, if you have, definitely consider writing about that!). All the same, it’s important to show readers that your interest in Foreign Affairs isn’t the interest of a spectator—colleges in general and Walsh in particular want students who aspire toward a “future in service to the world.” How do you hope to engage on the issues you raise? In addition to demonstrating their impressive understanding of the conflict in Lebanon, the writer ends the essay by suggesting measures the Lebanese government can adopt, drawing inspiration from Bahrain.

4. APPLICANTS TO THE MCDONOUGH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS:

The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives.  Please discuss your motivations for studying business at Georgetown.

Cosmopolitan: not the magazine or drink, but a word that has stuck with me since my freshman year history class description of Ancient Rome. It was defined as a place where humans from different backgrounds, countries, and beliefs can come together and learn from each other while still maintaining their unique identities. This idea of an international community full of new ideas and people has always excited me. Although I cherish the small and quaint communities that I grew up in, and appreciate the diverse and thought-provoking perspectives Miss Porter’s has ingrained in me, I am looking forward to expanding my growth immersed in a bustling city. I believe that Georgetown will offer me the opportunity to be part of a vibrant, cosmopolitan community, where smart, engaged students from around the world will come to trade ideas and create lifelong relationships. I want an interdisciplinary education that prepares me for a career outside of college. Georgetown’s Business and Global Affairs major combines the curricula of The McDonough School of Business and School of Foreign Service. This will allow me to explore my interest in political affairs, while also learning about the business world. I have taken ‘Accounting from Debt to Equity’ and ‘Microeconomics’ at my school, giving me a solid background for classes offered at McDonough such as ‘Global Business Experience’. Georgetown also has many opportunities outside my intended major. Having attended an all-girls school, I have found a safe and productive space working with other women. I would love to get involved with The Period Empowerment Project and Georgetown’s Women's Center to continue developing these valuable relationships.  Georgetown’s location coupled with unique business programs, including the The McDonough School of Business/Walsh School of Foreign Service interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science in Business and Global Affairs, will provide and prepare for transformative internship possibilities at the White House and Congress. These opportunities will help me develop the necessary skills and language to communicate in the business world. Conversely, I can also learn outside of Georgetown’s campus and surrounding community. For example, the ‘Georgetown in Barcelona: Business Ethics and Marketing’ study abroad program will allow me to dive into topical issues such as sustainability. The education of the whole student, as stated in Georgetown's motto “cura personalis”, means learning in and outside the classroom. A Georgetown education will help me become a well rounded, community-focused, “cosmopolitan” leader who can help make meaningful and informed contributions to the world. — — —

Hook ‘em! While it’s the body of your essay that ultimately carries the weight, the first sentence/s of your essay is an important moment. It sets the tone for the essay, and, most importantly, it can make the reader want to keep reading. This writer hooks the reader by differentiating a unique term’s (“cosmopolitan”) popular associations to offer a profound insight into global unity and diversity. Playing with the reader’s commonly held notions is one tried and true way to start an essay, and if you’re interested in more ways to “hook” a reader, check out this blog post .

Show them you’re not just window shopping. It’s one thing to simply say “I’m interested in taking X class.” It’s quite another to demonstrate how specific courses you’ve taken in high school will prepare you for specific courses in your time at college. This writer notes that taking “Accounting from Debt to Equity” and “Microeconomics” in high school prepares them to take “Global Business Experience” at McDonough. Note that the writer didn’t just open up a course catalog and pick a McDonough class that sounded kinda cool. Instead, we get the sense that the writer has put some thought into what they’ll be tackling in McDonough’s courses and has mapped out some of the possible arc of their education, demonstrating their informed interest in the School. Want some help organizing  your own research into the school’s you’re applying to? Check out our guide on that here .

It’s not just about the major. Did you catch the writer’s mention of the Period Empowerment Project and Georgetown’s Women's Center? It's as if they've already penciled in their first club meeting. The result is that they’re demonstrating their interest in the applications of McDonough’s classes; they’re not trying to simply study the coursework for its own sake. This shows they've not only done their homework but also mapped out their college journey. They’re signaling: “I'm ready to learn, engage, and truly be a Hoya!” They’re also demonstrating how they want to be an active, engaged member who contributes to the community—some colleges’ prompts directly ask this question (“how will you contribute?”), but even for colleges that don’t, it can be a nice touch to add some detail that helps your reader see how you want to engage.

Special thanks to Nick Muccio for writing this blog post.

Rather than candy, Nick (he/him) went searching for people’s vacuum cleaners when trick or treating. He’s since found other ways to help people clean, usually involving their essays (though he has great ideas on carpet maintenance, too). He earned a degree in Psychology from Bates College, where he rowed boats and acted in plays. Teaching high schoolers English for seven years taught him about the importance of presence and knitting sweaters. He sweats a lot, usually on purpose, and usually involving running shoes, a bike, or a rock climbing harness. His greatest fear? Heights. His greatest joys? Numerous, though shared laughter is up there.

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Georgetown Supplemental Essays 2024-25 – Prompts and Advice

June 20, 2024

The nation’s oldest Jesuit institution of higher learning is also its most selective, as Georgetown University welcomed just 12% of applicants to the Class of 2028 onto its historical and notably beautiful Washington, DC, campus. Whenever you are applying to a school of Georgetown’s caliber, where the average admitted applicant has a 1470 SAT score and is at (or near) the top of their high school class, you need to find ways to set yourself apart from the pack. Toward that aim, prospective Hoyas need to take advantage of the Georgetown supplemental essays.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into Georgetown? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into Georgetown: Admissions Data and Strategies  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

The goal is to write compelling, standout compositions. Your essays should showcase your exceptional writing ability and reveal more about who you are as an individual. Below are Georgetown’s essay prompts for the 2024-25 admissions cycle along with tips about how to address each one.

Georgetown Supplemental Essays – Prompt 1

Please elaborate on any special talents or skills you would like to highlight. (250 words)

The wording of this prompt changed slightly from “ Indicate any special talents or skills …” to “ Please elaborate on any special talents or skills …” This tells us that Georgetown is encouraging applicants to go into more detail about their chosen talent/skill.

If you are a world-class athlete, you are likely already in the recruitment process. If you placed high in AIME or won a National Merit Scholarship, that is already stated in the awards section. Therefore, using the prized 250 words of real estate to merely rehash the fact that you won an award for something you are good at would not be an inspiring move. Instead, use this essay as an opportunity to offer a new level of depth and understanding about your talent(s). In addition to discussing the talent you possess, describe the journey of how you developed your abilities and how they have impacted you.

A few years back, Malcolm Gladwell popularized the idea that becoming an expert at anything takes 10,000 hours of practice. Consider talking about the grind and sacrifice it took you to become great at a given skill. Describe how you see that skill becoming even more finely tuned/developed over time. If this skill fits into your future academic/career plans, all the better—share that too!

Georgetown Supplemental Essays – Prompt 2

Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (approximately 1/2 page, single-spaced) 

Perhaps you are the captain of a team, the editor-in-chief of your school paper, or the president of a club. On the other hand, you may simply be a valuable contributing member. Regardless of whether you are a leading man/woman or a still-essential bit player, make sure that you use your writing ability to show the admissions officer what type of involved team member you are rather than merely telling them.

You can also discuss how you have engaged with your high school local/community. Share what you have learned from interacting with people of a different ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual identity, etc. Draw on past evidence of your commitment to being a positive force in the context of your activity/activities. Also be sure to speculate how that is likely to manifest on Georgetown’s campus. Research and cite Hoya student-run organizations, local nonprofit groups, or anything else you are drawn to. The admissions committee wants to understand precisely how you will contribute to their campus community of 7,000+ undergrads. Drawing the link between your past efforts and future aims is critical here. For example, if you’ve done work with Habitat for Humanity throughout your teens, it will be most impactful if you express your commitment to joining Georgetown’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity in the future.

Georgetown University Supplemental Essays – Prompt 3

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your own background, identity, skills, and talents. (Approximately one page, single-spaced)

Whether you decide to write about yourself in a way that is light, creative, humorous, personal, sincere, or vulnerable (any are perfectly fine), aim to reveal a picture of yourself that cannot be gleaned from elsewhere in your application materials.

Take note of the wide-open nature of this prompt. While there are no limits to the way in which you approach this essay, here are some angles to consider:

• A perspective you hold
• An experience you had
• A community you belong to
• Your cultural or family background
• Something you’ve had to overcome

The admissions officer looking at your essay is hoping to connect with you through your written words. So be open, humble, thoughtful, inquisitive, emotionally honest, mature, and insightful. No matter what type of story you tell, the goal is to have the reader come away saying, “I can definitely see this applicant as a contributing member of our talented and engaged student community.”

Georgetown Supplemental Essays — The School-Specific Essay

Depending on the College or School that you are applying to at Georgetown, you’ll need to write a separate school-specific essay. At their core, all of them are “Why Us” essays. As you address each prompt (see below), be sure to include Georgetown-specific offerings and opportunities that support your reasoning, interests, and future plans.

Elements of a great Georgetown “Why Us?” essay

• Cite school-specific  academic programs , professors,  research opportunities ,  internship/externship programs , and  study abroad programs .
• Reference student-run organizations at Georgetown that align with your passions.
• Describe how you take advantage of Georgetown’s immense resources both inside and outside of the classroom.
• Make sure to touch on both a) why Georgetown is the perfect fit for you and) why you are the perfect fit for Georgetown. Covering both topics is essential.

Common mistakes on a Georgetown “Why Us?” essay .

• Fawning over the picturesque Gothic-style Georgetown campus (it is quite beautiful, but they already know that).
• Georgetown is top-ranked, prestigious, and has a great reputation. Again, they know!
• Too many generic expressions of feeling (e.g., It has been my dream since I was a toddler to be a Hoya… ).
• Recycled statements from your other “Why Us?” essays that come across as stale, impersonal, or worst of all–irrelevant/inaccurate.

Georgetown College: Founded in 1789, the Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences is committed to the Jesuit traditions of an integrated education and of productive research in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. Describe your interest in studying at College of Arts & Sciences. Applicants interested in the sciences, mathematics, or languages are encouraged to make specific reference to their choice of major.

Out of all the attributes they could have chosen, Georgetown chose to reference “integrated education” and “productive research” within the prompt. Accordingly, you may want to do some research on the two aforementioned traditions and think about how they’ll impact your education at Georgetown. You can also write about any other offerings, programs, professors, or opportunities within the College of Arts and Sciences that are especially interesting to you and in line with your experiences and goals. Note that Georgetown encourages certain types of applicants to make specific references to their prospective field of study.

Georgetown Supplemental Essays (Continued)

School of Nursing: Georgetown University’s School of Nursing is committed to the formation of ethical, empathetic, and transformational nursing leaders. Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying Nursing at Georgetown University.

School of Health: Georgetown University’s School of Health was founded to advance the health and well-being of people locally, nationally, and globally through innovative research, the delivery of interdisciplinary education, and transformative engagement of communities. Describe the factors that influenced your interest in studying health care at Georgetown University, specifically addressing your intended related major: Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science.

Since these prompts are similar, the below advice applies to both:

“A nurse is not what you do, it is who you are.”

This quote from an anonymous source captures the idea that becoming a nurse is a calling; not a profession you just stumble into. Healthcare is no different. Healthcare professionals are willing to work long shifts in the service of others, be on the frontlines of a pandemic, and deal with life’s toughest challenges (e.g., suffering and death) on a regular basis. Many applicants share stories of caring for sick relatives, experiencing a tough medical episode themselves, or observing the challenges faced by a particular community as inspiration for studying nursing or healthcare.

In addition, you’ll want to include school-specific research that demonstrates your knowledge of the school’s opportunities and resources as well as the skills Georgetown will help you build (and why they are important to you). Overall, show the admissions committee that you are a passionate and mature healthcare or nursing candidate, that this field is genuinely “who you are,” and that attending Georgetown will be the right fit for you.

Walsh School of Foreign Service: Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders with the foundational skills to address global issues. Describe your primary motivations for studying international affairs at Georgetown University and dedicating your undergraduate studies toward a future in global service.

International service is not something every 17/18-year-old in the country is dreaming about doing as a vocation. There is likely a very interesting story surrounding what motivated you to apply to the Walsh School of Foreign Service and this essay invites you to share this very narrative. You don’t need to look any deeper than today’s headlines to identify powerful and immensely challenging global problems. Regardless of your major, you likely have a highly specific set of academic and career goals taking shape in your mind.

If you can communicate these goals and the motivations behind them while sharing a vision for how you will contribute to the betterment of humankind in one or multiple regions of the world, then you are likely to end up with an excellent Walsh essay. Moreover, discuss why Walsh in particular will be a great fit for you.

McDonough School of Business: Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business provides graduates with essential global, ethical, analytical, financial, and diverse perspectives on the economies of our nation and the world. Describe your primary motivations for studying business at Georgetown University.

Before you start writing, do some McDonough-specific research and think about why a business education from McDonough in particular will be a great fit for your interests and goals. Further, to stand out, applicants need to connect the resources they’ve chosen to experiences they’ve had, demonstrating that they have availed themselves of every opportunity to dive into the business world during their high school years. Of course, not everyone has parents who hand them money to invest in the stock market or land them an internship at Goldman Sachs in 9th grade.

Relevant experiences can include high school investing clubs, participation in activities like FBLA, summer programs/courses in business/finance/economics, running your own local small business or e-business (Etsy, landscaping, etc.), or just a regular old retail job. The important thing to highlight is what you learned from your experiences. You should also note how you’ll bring that newly acquired knowledge to the classroom at Georgetown, and how your experiences have informed & influenced what you hope to continue learning in college.

How important are the Georgetown supplemental essays?

There are a whopping 8 factors that Georgetown considers to be “very important” to the evaluation process. These are: rigor of secondary school record, character/personal qualities, class rank, GPA, standardized test scores, recommendations, extracurricular activities, and most relevant to this blog—the application essays. The essays undoubtedly play a significant role in the admissions process at Georgetown. They can help the committee decide who to admit when choosing between similarly credentialed (GPA, test scores, etc.) applicants.

Want personalized assistance with your Georgetown supplemental essays?

Interested in working with one of our experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your Georgetown supplemental essays? We encourage you to get a quote  today.

Need more writing-related resources? Consider checking out the following:

• Common App Essay Prompts
• 10 Instructive Common App Essay Examples
• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
• How to Brainstorm a College Essay
• How to Start a College Essay
• How to End a College Essay
• “Why This College?” Essay Examples
• Best College Essay Help
• College Essay

Andrew Belasco

A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.

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Georgetown University 2024-25 Essay Prompt Guide

Early Action: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 10

Georgetown 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 250 words; 1 half-page essay; 2 page-long essays

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Activity , Why, Diversity

All Georgetown University Applicants 

Prompt 1: please elaborate on any special talents or skills you would like to highlight. (250 words) .

This prompt may come first on the list, but we think you should save it for last! For the other essays on the Georgetown application, we ask you to dig deep and share personal stories that showcase talents and interests. Don’t dry the well by listing all of your (many!) skills and talents too soon. Every essay should reveal something new to admissions. So once you finish polishing your other pieces, ask yourself: What’s missing? Is there some critical puzzle piece that will help connect your other three essays? Have you been dying to get something off your chest that didn’t fit anywhere else? This essay could be the perfect outlet for you to showcase your more personal skills, interests, and quirks. If the rest of your essays describe your drive to work in international relations, perhaps your answer to this prompt could reveal a lighter side: your love of experimental cooking (and impressive knife skills!). Or maybe explain how learning a new language helped you learn how to whistle! While you should aim to highlight genuine skills that you have put effort into cultivating, you can also have a little bit of fun. This prompt is the most open-ended one on the application, so show admissions something they won’t find anywhere else on your application.

Prompt 2: Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (1/2 page, single-spaced, or approximately 300-400 words depending on font size) 

Next up is a fun twist on the classic Activity Essay, which asks you to expand on an extracurricular endeavor that you care about. For starters, we’d give you basically the same advice as the prompt: focus on one of the activities “in which you have been most involved.” Although we usually urge students to write about experiences that haven’t appeared elsewhere on their application, the Activity Essay is an exception since it specifically asks you to address an item on your resume. So, pick something with meat! When have you had the opportunity to take on a leadership role? How have four years of debate club shaped the way you communicate? Was it difficult coaching pee wee soccer as a freshman, and what motivated you to stick with it? Regardless of what you choose to write about, be sure to describe what it means to you.

Prompt 3: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your personal background and individual experiences, skills, and talents. (1 page, single-spaced) 

Though it seems straightforward, this may be one of the hardest prompts! (What do you mean, tell you about myself in my own words?) Don’t fret. You can treat this essay just like the Common App’s prompt #1 , which asks students to write about a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. (Even better: If you’ve already written an essay in response to the Common App’s first prompt, you can recycle that essay here since Georgetown has its own application platform!)

If you’re approaching this essay from scratch, take some time to brainstorm. What about your background, talents, or identity might be worth highlighting for an admissions officer? Don’t worry about cramming every aspect of the wonder that is you into one essay; they will naturally reveal themselves along the way as you write. Whether you want to write about a facet of your identity that few people know about or a passion you’ve been dabbling in (and telling everyone about) for years, you can’t go wrong with authentic reflection and an engaging hook!

Georgetown University School-Specific Prompts 

Georgetown college of arts and sciences: founded in 1789, the georgetown college of arts & sciences is committed to the jesuit traditions of an integrated education and of productive research in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. describe your interest in studying in the college of arts & sciences. (applicants interested in the sciences, mathematics, or languages are encouraged to make specific reference to their choice of major.).

You can probably guess what we’re going to recommend here…wait for it…research! Georgetown wants to know not just what you want to study but why you want to study it at their school. The prompt makes specific reference to the school’s Jesuit history, focus on research, and “integrated education,” so start there. Are you looking forward to a college experience grounded in faith? Are you excited to tie your various interests together through different courses, activities, and clubs? Does the Core Curriculum speak to your desire to not only focus on your intended major, but also explore other fields? If you know what you want to major in, make sure you take extra care to reference specific courses, professors, clubs, or other research opportunities that excite you. The more specific details you can incorporate into your essay, the more sincere and personal it will feel (and be!). 

School of Nursing: Georgetown University’s School of Nursing is committed to the formation of ethical, empathetic, and transformational nursing leaders. Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying Nursing at Georgetown University.

Well, this is about as straightforward as prompts get! Our advice is much the same as it is for students applying to the School of Health (see below). Set yourself apart from other applicants by not only discussing the factors that led you to pursuing a career in nursing, but also tying those experiences to your larger goals for the future. Take note of the keywords in the prompt’s first sentence and try to connect them to your story. Are you attracted to Georgetown’s focus on ethics because you come from a family of medical professionals? Were you drawn to the profession due to an empathetic nurse who supported your family during your little sister’s leukemia treatments? How do you hope to embody these characteristics in your future career? If there are elements of a Georgetown education that will support your particular interest or connect to your past experiences in some way, you should dig into that in your response, while also revealing new information to admissions about your character, motivations, and aspirations.

School of Health: Georgetown University’s School of Health was founded to advance the health and well-being of people locally, nationally, and globally through innovative research, the delivery of interdisciplinary education, and transformative engagement of communities. Describe the factors that influenced your interest in studying health care at Georgetown University, specifically addressing your intended related major: Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science.

If we know anything about applying to medical programs, it is this: everyone wants to help people, everyone wants to make the world a better place, and everyone wants to make a meaningful contribution. Few fields lend themselves to service-oriented clichés and platitudes as readily as medicine does, so to safely navigate the minefield of hackneyed generalizations, start with something personal! What’s one eye-opening experience that made you believe healthcare could be your calling? Perhaps it was a single moment, like accidental eye contact with a concerned mother in the ER. Or maybe it was something more long-term, such as navigating your school in a wheelchair after knee surgery and realizing you want to improve patient outcomes by researching physical therapies. Whatever the case, use your personal story as the backdrop for your argument. What did you learn? What problems do you hope to tackle? What change do you hope to help create? As we said, it’s not enough to just want these things; your job is to show admissions why medicine interests you personally. Once you’ve accomplished that, be sure to address the role Georgetown will play in your plan for the future. In other words, why do you want to study healthcare at Georgetown in particular? Align your response to the keywords in the prompt’s first sentence to show that Georgetown is the right school for you. Do they have a research lab that’s at the forefront of innovation? Are you eager to engage with local and global communities by volunteering in DC and studying abroad? How will Georgetown’s interdisciplinary education support your goals as a Human Science major? A wise applicant will do some research so they can infuse their response with specific details that demonstrate meticulousness and drive.

Walsh School of Foreign Service: Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders with the foundational skills to address global issues. Describe your primary motivations for studying international affairs at Georgetown University and dedicating your undergraduate studies toward a future in global service.

The Walsh School of Foreign Service wants to know what fuels your fire. What is driving you to dedicate your undergraduate studies (and maybe even your life!) to a path of service? Maybe you are incredibly passionate about combating climate change before it’s too late. What do you hope to achieve and how? Perhaps you’re following in the footsteps of a trailblazer you look up to—how do you hope to continue fighting the good fight in their honor? If you’re feeling stuck, ask yourself: What kind of mark would you like to leave on the world? How do you think you can positively contribute to a cause that is important to you? If you had the power to make a lasting impact in any area at all, what would it be? Next, describe how Georgetown’s specific program will help you achieve these goals. What courses, professors, study abroad experiences, clubs, or activities make Georgetown’s program stand out? The prompt makes reference to “generations of leaders,” so do some research to see if there are any alumni in whose footsteps you hope to follow. Finally, while building the personal connection is key, you’ll also want to leave yourself some space to spell out at least a few steps you might take to address your global issue of choice.

McDonough School of Business: Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business provides graduates with essential global, ethical, analytical, financial, and diverse perspectives on the economies of our nation and the world. Describe your primary motivations for studying business at Georgetown University.

If you think we’ve never seen an essay with the line, “I love money,” you would be wrong. Spoiler: this does not make a great first impression. Studying business is about so much more than dollars and cents, and this prompt offers a few other aspects of business you’ll learn about in this program, including “global, ethical, analytical, financial, and diverse perspectives.” In order to get some perspective, we’d recommend doing your homework. Like any classic Why Essay, the best answers are personal and specific, so go beyond your general interest in business and try to figure out specifically why Georgetown could be the right fit for you. Is it the location? The professors? The travel opportunities? Allow yourself to follow every lead and fall down every rabbit hole as you root through the program website. Your essay should paint a picture of the kind of student you will be at Georgetown, from the classes you’ll take to the activities you’ll pursue. How will this education prepare you for your dream career?

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Lead admissions expert, table of contents, understanding the georgetown supplemental essays, example topics for the georgetown supplemental essay questions, top 10 tips for writing georgetown supplemental essays.

Stay up-to-date on the latest research and college admissions trends with our blog team.

Curious about the Georgetown supplemental essay? Georgetown University, located in the heart of Washington, D.C., is renowned for its strong academic programs in foreign service, political science, and government. The university’s notable alumni include former President Bill Clinton and many other influential politicians, judges, and ambassadors. Plus, the mascot is adorable. Go, Bulldogs! 

However, if you’re aspiring to study at this political powerhouse, your application needs to stand out, particularly through your supplemental essays. 

In this guide, we’ll provide the top 10 tips and examples to help you craft compelling Georgetown essays that will impress the admissions committee.

Georgetown University’s admission process is holistic, meaning they consider multiple facets of your application during the deliberation phase. This range of considerations, in addition to academic strength and rigor, includes extracurricular achievements, personal qualities, and essays. 

Video: Answering ALL of Your Questions About Georgetown University

If you decide to apply, here are the essay prompts you’ll need to tackle:

All Applicants:

• Special Talents or Skills: Please elaborate on any special talents or skills you would like to highlight.
• Significant Activity: In the space available, discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.
• Personal Essay: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.

School Specific Prompts:

• Georgetown College: A liberal arts education from the College of Arts & Sciences involves encounters with new concepts and modes of inquiry. Describe something (a class, a book, an event, etc.) that changed your thinking. (Applicants to the sciences, mathematics, public policy, or languages are encouraged to include examples related to that field.)
• School of Nursing & Health Studies: Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care. Please specifically address your intended major.
• Walsh School of Foreign Service: The Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems. What is motivating you to dedicate your undergraduate studies to a future in service to the world?
• McDonough School of Business: The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial, and global perspectives. Please discuss your motivations for studying business at Georgetown.

These themes are only meant to inspire you. If one or more of these ideas resonate with your experience, that’s a great place to start drafting! Otherwise, feel free to think outside of the box and try to comb the rich details of your own life for the right story.

Special Talents or Skills

Example: If you have a unique talent for playing a rare musical instrument (like the theremin, perhaps?), discuss how this skill developed, any notable performances, and what this talent means to you personally. Highlight how it has shaped your character and your ability to contribute to Georgetown campus life.

Significant Activity

Example: Choose a significant activity—such as volunteering at a local animal shelter. Explain your role, the duration of your involvement, and its impact on you during your high school years. Discuss how this experience has influenced your global empathy, leadership skills, and commitment to community service.

Personal Essay

Example: Write a personal essay about a challenging experience that is significant—such as moving to a new country. In this example, you could describe how this experience helped you develop resilience, adaptability, and a broader worldview. Reflect on how these qualities will help you contribute to Georgetown’s diverse intercultural community.

Video: CEA's Guide to the 2022-23 Georgetown University Essay Prompts

Georgetown College

Example: Describe a memorable class on environmental science that changed your perspective on sustainability. Discuss which specific topics intrigued you (and why) and how this new understanding has influenced your future goals, such as pursuing a major in Environmental Policy.

School of Nursing & Health Studies

Example: One way to tackle this question is to share a personal story about a health crisis that inspired your interest in health care. Beyond experiencing the medical system firsthand, describe how this experience motivated you to pursue a major in Human Science and your goals for making a difference in the health sector.

Walsh School of Foreign Service

Example: Tackle something that you truly care about! Don’t be afraid to discuss a global issue like climate change. Explain why it is important to you and propose potential solutions. Reflect on how your passion for this issue as a young person, and your desire to make a global impact, have driven you to apply to the Walsh School of Foreign Service.

McDonough School of Business

Example: You could write about your experience in a high school business club where you led a project to create a sustainable business model. Explain your motivation for studying business at Georgetown, emphasizing the university’s commitment to ethical and global business practices.

1. Keep It Simple and Focused

For the prompt about your most significant school or summer activity, choose one major activity and write about it concisely. Focus on what it is, how long you have been involved, why it is important to you, and its significance in your life. This should be a straightforward, one-paragraph response.

Strategy: Highlight your commitment and the impact the activity has had on your personal growth or future aspirations.

2. Be Authentic and Reflective

The personal or creative essay is your chance to showcase your individuality. Don’t stress too much about being overly creative; instead, focus on providing evidence to support your self-description. Use anecdotes and personal stories to illustrate your points.

Strategy: Reflect on your experiences and how they have shaped your personality, values, and goals. Be honest and let your genuine voice come through. 

This is one student's take:

Video: HOW I GOT INTO GEORGETOWN! | GPA, ACT, Essays, EC’s, and Spike | Diamond Manuela

3. Showcase Your Academic Interests and Goals

For all applicants, the essay should blend your academic interests with your future goals. Discuss why you are drawn to your chosen field of study and how Georgetown’s programs align with your aspirations.

Strategy: Don’t be afraid to play with structure, but spend at least one paragraph on your academic interests and two on why Georgetown is the perfect place for you to pursue these interests. Be sure to mention specific programs, professors, or research opportunities at Georgetown.

4. Demonstrate Passion and Insight

Across all essay prompts, Georgetown values passion and deep insight. Your essays should not only convey your interests but also demonstrate why these interests matter to you and how they align with your future goals.

Strategy: Describe how your experiences have sparked or deepened your passion. Explain the insights you have gained and how they have shaped your aspirations. Be specific about how Georgetown can help you achieve these goals.

5. Be Analytical and Introspective

Regardless of the prompt, Georgetown essays benefit from a thoughtful analysis of your experiences and choices. Whether you are discussing a global issue or a personal interest, show a deep understanding of the topic and its relevance to your life and future.

Strategy: Analyze the underlying reasons behind your interests and decisions. Reflect on how these experiences have influenced your perspective and prepared you for Georgetown. Use specific examples to support your analysis.

6. Highlight Your Unique Perspective

Georgetown is interested in students who bring diverse and unique perspectives to their campus. Use your essays to highlight what sets you apart from other applicants. This could be your background, experiences, or personal insights.

Strategy: Focus on what makes you unique. Discuss how your perspective will contribute to the Georgetown community. Provide examples that illustrate your distinctive viewpoint and how it has shaped your goals and ambitions.

7. Be Specific and Detailed

Specificity is key to making your essays stand out. Use detailed examples to illustrate your points and make your narrative more engaging. Avoid general statements and provide concrete examples and anecdotes. Not only will this make your work more interesting and memorable, but it’s also the best way to avoid drowning in a sea of similar answers.

Strategy: Describe specific incidents, actions, and emotions that highlight your points. This will make your essays more memorable and impactful.

8. Research Georgetown Thoroughly

Demonstrate that you’ve done your homework about Georgetown. Mention specific programs, professors, clubs, or opportunities that attract you to the university.

Strategy: Connect your interests and goals with Georgetown’s offerings. Highlight how specific courses, extracurriculars, or research opportunities at Georgetown align with your aspirations.

9. Reflect on Your Experiences

Show reflection and growth in your essays. Admissions officers want to see how your experiences have shaped you.

Strategy: Discuss the lessons learned and personal growth from your experiences. Reflect on how these experiences have prepared you for Georgetown and your future goals.

10. Proofread and Seek Feedback

Carefully proofread your essays for any grammatical or typographical errors. Share your essays with trusted teachers, friends, or family members for feedback.

Strategy: Use spellcheck and grammar tools, but also read your essay out loud to catch awkward phrasing. Seek constructive criticism and be open to making changes.

Crafting your Georgetown supplemental essays is an opportunity to present your unique voice and experiences to the admissions committee. By following these tips and strategies, you can write essays that are authentic, detailed, and compelling. 

Ready to go further? 

For students who want to stand out from the crowd when it comes to Georgetown admission , these qualities enhance your chances of being admitted to this prestigious university. Remember, the key is to be yourself and to showcase the qualities that make you a perfect fit for Georgetown.

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How to Ace the 23/24 Georgetown Supplemental Essays

Cece Gilmore is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cece earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University. While at ASU, she was the education editor as well as a published staff reporter at Downtown Devil. Cece was also the co-host of her own radio show on Blaze Radio ASU.

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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

The Georgetown University supplemental essays are an important part of the overall application. Georgetown has a 12% acceptance rate , so your very best writing is required here. Remember, you are not alone in this Georgetown supplemental essay writing process! Keep reading our guide to learn more about how to best respond to the Georgetown supplemental essays. 

Breaking down the Georgetown supplemental essays

Georgetown requires all applicants to respond to three prompts. 

Here is a breakdown of the word count for the Georgetown supplemental essays: 

• Short Essay – approximately ½ page, single spaced
• Essay 1- approximately 1 page, single spaced
• Essay 2- approximately 1 page, single spaced, response based on intended school

Georgetown Supplemental essay questions for all applicants

Short essay.

Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved (½ page, single spaced)

This is an opportunity to expand on an extracurricular activity that you are passionate about and have participated in the most. 

Some questions to help brainstorm your response could include: 

• Did you receive any leadership roles in this activity? 
• Why do you love this activity? 
• When did you become interested in this activity? 

Once you establish your main activity, write a story surrounding this event and detail a narrative! Do your best to connect back to Georgetown. Think of Georgetown clubs you want to become involved in to continue to pursue your interests. For example, if you love participating in track and field, but do not want to participate at the college level, discuss joining the Georgetown University Running Club. Additionally, try to really show not tell how significant this activity is in your life. For example, you could detail a narrative of how going for a run allows you to clear your mind and helps you cope with stress! Ultimately, this is your time to expand upon a passion you have and why you are passionate about it! 

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your own background, identity, skills and talents. (1 page, single spaced)

Although this is one of the first questions asked by Georgetown, it may be smart to save this question for the end. This is because there are a lot of prompts that Georgetown asks that reveal many of your interests and skills. 

Therefore, to ensure you are not repeating yourself in your responses, answer this question last. Every essay you are responding to should reveal something new! 

Once you are ready to answer this question, brainstorm some of the following questions: 

• What is missing from your application that you want to highlight about yourself? 
• Are there any skills you possess that have not been touched upon? 
• Is there a leadership position you were involved in that you want to detail? 
• What would you do if you had to go on stage at a talent show? 

It is important to use this question as an outlet to showcase your skills, talents, and interests. 

Some examples of some skills, talents, or interests can be: 

• Playing an instrument 
• Participating in a sport
• Speaking a different language
• Mastering a video game
• Able to do something others cannot

You should be not just stating what talents you have, but also a short narrative or story surrounding each skill. Describe how you discovered this skill or how long it took you to become the expert you are today. 

Therefore, it is important to be short and thoughtful with your word choices. Eliminate any filler words and only describe the important parts of your story.

This prompt is quite broad, which can make it challenging to respond to. It is important to try and come up with a topic for this essay that has not been discussed in your application thus far. Remember, Georgetown has most likely already read about your academic and athletic achievements. So, try to be more creative in your response!

So what should you write about? 

To help you brainstorm creative topics for this essay, think of the following questions: 

• What are you known as in your friend group? (Exp: the artsy one, the funny one…) 
• Are there any quirks you possess? 
• Do you belong to any communities? 
• What kind of background did you come from? 
• Have you ever had to overcome anything? 
• What are you passionate about? 
• Is there anything that makes you stand out from other applicants? 

If you are still having trouble coming up with a topic idea for this essay, do not fret. Remember, Georgetown does not use the Common App . This means that you could potentially use your response to the Common App as an answer to this essay.

If you are going to use your Common App essay response to answer this question make sure you are: 

• Not repeating yourself in your application
• Answering the question entirely
• Revealing a new piece of information about yourself

Essentially, Georgetown wants to be able to connect with your application and your personal and unique experiences. Therefore, be yourself and always reveal new things!

Essay #2: Georgetown school-specific essay questions

Each school-specific prompt should not exceed one-page, single-spaced. 

Georgetown College essay

A liberal arts education from the College of Arts & Sciences involves encounters with new concepts and modes of inquiry. Describe something (a class, a book, an event, etc) that changed your thinking. (Applicants to the sciences, mathematics, public policy or languages are encouraged to include examples related to that field.) 

Georgetown College admissions wants to hear all about your way of thinking! Try to brainstorm a time in which your mind was changed – this can be anything from reading a book to seeing a TED Talk to having a conversation with a teacher. Whatever event, be sure you are picking one that most closely aligns to your intended major such as mathematics or public policy. Remember, you want to show, not tell! So describe this change of thinking through a story! Try to include details to bring your experience to life such as reading your book while driving through the mountains or seeing a TED talk in class and immediately having millions of ideas rushing through your brain. Additionally, it may be wise to describe your thinking prior to the event and then after the event. This will show how exactly you have changed and how much. Now, go one step further and connect back to Georgetown! Doing so will impress the admissions officers and truly demonstrate how you are a perfect fit for the Georgetown community. It’s a good idea to allude to how you will continue to take this new way of thinking to the Georgetown community. 

Questions to consider

• What is a time in which you changed your thinking on a topic? 
• What did you learn from changing your thinking? 
• How will you take what you have learned and apply it while at Georgetown? 

School of Health essay

Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care at Georgetown University. Please specifically address your intended major (Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science).

This essay question should be fairly easy if you have a passion for studying health care. Ultimately, you just need to explain why you want to study health care! And specifically, why you want to study health care at Georgetown. So, write a story describing your interest in global health, healthcare management & policy or human science! After detailing this narrative, go into detail about why Georgetown is a perfect fit for you. Describe any specific classes, professors, clubs, or the location of DC to demonstrate your interest in Georgetown. The most important thing is that you are tying your response back to Georgetown! 

• Why do you want to major in your chosen major?
• What do you aspire to do with your degree?
• Why did you choose to apply to Georgetown? 

School of Nursing essay

Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care. Please specifically address your intended major Nursing. 

If you are considering the School of Nursing, then you obviously have a passion for helping people. Therefore, you should not focus on this fact in your response. Remember, these Georgetown supplemental essays are an opportunity to make yourself stand out from other applicants – so try to really think about this question. 

In order to avoid any cliches, try thinking of the following questions to help you brainstorm your response: 

• What has been an eye-opening experience you have had that has influenced your decision to apply to the School of Nursing? 
• Why the Georgetown School of Nursing? 
• Why do you want to help people? 
• Was there a specific instance in which you realized nursing was your calling? 
• Is there anyone close to you who works in the medical or nursing field? 

After brainstorming, begin your response by describing a narrative. Tell your story about why you became interested in nursing and studying in the medical field. Whatever your story may be, use that as the backbone of your response for this essay. 

Try to answer the following questions in your essay: 

• What have you learned from this passion? 
• What change do you hope to bring to your future profession? 
• What do you hope to do with this degree? 
• What will you become involved in while at Georgetown? 

The most important thing is that you are tying your response back to Georgetown. Specify how and why Georgetown’s program and resources are the best fit for you. 

See also : Top nursing scholarships

Walsh School of Foreign Service essay

The Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems. What is motivating you to dedicate your undergraduate studies to a future in service to the world?

International service is a rather uncommon major and profession to go into. Therefore, there is most likely a story behind your decision to choose this school. 

Start by brainstorming the following questions: 

• What inspired you to pursue this major? 
• Is there someone who inspired you to pursue this particular degree? 
• What do you want to do with this degree? 

Now that you have a good idea of what you want to write about, detail exactly what degree you are intended to pursue. Communicate what your goals are for this degree. What do you hope to accomplish? 

In addition, describe how you plan to contribute to change the world for the better. 

Afterwards, connect back to Georgetown by writing about the programs, clubs, and/or opportunities you hope to take advantage of while studying there. 

McDonough School of Business essay

The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives. Please discuss your motivation for studying business at Georgetown.

In order to stand out from other applicants, begin by detailing any background you may have in business. This could be anything from taking a business class in high school to creating your own brand that went viral. Once you describe your business background, connect back to the McDonough School of Business specifically. 

There are a lot of business schools out in the country, so why Georgetown? In order to accurately answer this question, you should have done adequate research on the following aspects of the McDonough School of Business: 

• Class sizes
• Travel opportunities
• Clubs and organizations

Becoming familiar with these aspects of the school allows you to write about the factors that are most important to you. Be open and honest–which factors appeal to you most,  and why? 

Final thoughts on responding to the Georgetown supplemental essays

The Georgetown supplemental essays are quite challenging, but they are completely worth the effort.  Georgetown heavily relies upon the supplemental essay responses to select applicants, so it is important that your application is well-rounded. Make sure that you are not repeating anything when writing your essays. In addition, always connect your experiences back to Georgetown by detailing what you want to become involved in on campus. 

Additional resources

Are you curious about how many colleges to apply to , how to choose a college , or when to take the SAT/ACT ? Do not worry because Scholarships360 has you covered! In addition, we have numerous resources to help you through the rest of your college essays. Check out our guides on how to write an essay about yourself , how to write a successful admissions essay , and how to write 250 or 500 word essays. Throughout your college application journey, make sure that you apply to all the scholarships you qualify for! 

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How to Write the Georgetown Supplement 2023-2024

Okay, we’ll level with you here: Georgetown doesn’t go through the Common App, so you have to jump through a few additional hoops to apply directly through their system. Their defense? Having their own application allows them to “fulfill [their] commitment to this holistic admissions process” and “allows [their] applicants to best express their personalities, talents, skills and accomplishments.” Our personal opinion? The initial online form and subsequent application supplement are pretty standard, so… Sometimes people just need to feel special. (Get in line, George!) Speaking of special, last year Georgetown had an acceptance rate of just 13% for incoming freshmen.

Let’s quickly go over the Georgetown highlights. Located in our nation’s capital, this Catholic, Jesuit school is a prestigious private university defined by its proximity to Capitol Hill, its historic past, and its cultural commitment to social justice. You’ll want to keep these cornerstones in mind and work diligently on your supplemental essays to set yourself apart as an applicant.

Applying to Georgetown

Before you can get to the meat of your application — those essay questions — you’ve got to get your application in the system. First, fill out this preliminary form . Within 24 hours, you will receive an email allowing you to create your application account, and from this platform you can continue with your application supplement.

Like all applications, the majority of these forms is paperwork, and the questions will be familiar to you. However, each applicant will need to write three original responses — one short answer, two brief essays — to complete the supplement (you can view a reference copy here ), and we’ll take a closer look at those prompts in this blog post.

The Short Essay

Briefly (approximately one-half page, single-spaced) discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.

Remember, all space on an application is precious, so don’t repeat yourself here! Because they ask about the activity with which you have been most involved, you will already have listed it in the extracurricular section, which asks you to start with the commitments most important to you. When we say “don’t repeat yourself” here, we don’t mean that you need to choose an activity that doesn’t appear in that list, because that would mean you’re writing about something you didn’t spend enough time on to bother including it on your activity list. What we mean is this: use the space you have to elaborate on this activity to strategically present new information about yourself.

The written portions of an app help an admissions committee to get to know you as a real person and not just a resume, and you’ll want to get your most prominent personality traits across. Choose a quality you’d like to emphasize, and tell a story about your activity that demonstrates that characteristic. This story should have a beginning, middle, and end, and your conclusion should tie back to your future at Georgetown. Reference a similar club or organization at Georgetown that you’d like to join — there’s no contract that will hold you to this if you change your mind, but articulating your intention to keep building on your experience will prove you’ve done your research and that you’ll be an involved undergraduate and positive presence on campus.

Here’s an example. Let’s say you want to convey your ~scrappy resilience~ in your application, and the club you were most involved in during high school was your local chapter of Amnesty International. Of course, your readers will know that this activity means you have a passion for social justice and human rights, but what they might not know is that, despite ranking math as your least favorite subject, you accepted the role of treasurer sophomore year because it was the only open position and you wanted to join the leadership committee as early as possible. Maybe you had to learn the fundamentals of accounting on your own, but you took the initiative to ensure your chapter’s fundraising efforts were successful because of your dedication to that year’s campaign to support girls’ equal access to education globally.

Full Essay #1

ALL APPLICANTS: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your own background, identity, skills, and talents. (approximately one page, single-spaced, typed) 

As you can tell, this prompt is broad , but it boils down to “tell us about yourself.” Because the essay can be personal or creative and only asks that you describe yourself in your own words, this is a great opportunity to use your Common App Essay.

Full Essay #2

You’re almost to the finish line, now, but this second essay is a bit of a “choose your own adventure.” Well, that’s the fun way to put it. Technically speaking, incoming first-years must apply to one of five schools within Georgetown, so your second essay depends on which program you’d like to enter. We’ll briefly look at all five, so bear with us.

APPLICANTS TO GEORGETOWN COLLEGE: A liberal arts education from the College of Arts & Sciences involves encounters with new concepts and modes of inquiry. Describe something (a class, a book, an event, etc.) that changed your thinking. (Applicants to the sciences, mathematics, public policy or languages are encouraged to include examples related to that field.)

The College of Arts & Sciences asks you about an anecdote, related to your future field, that “changed your thinking.” Once again, you’ll need to tell a story that illustrates how you became passionate about your intended major or specialization. This time, the framework for telling that story should involve changing your mind — admissions wants to ensure you’re compatible with a liberal arts approach to undergraduate study.

Be specific. Your story should illustrate how you developed your interest, and communicate in detail what that interest is — a particular problem you’d like to tackle or a sub-topic within a broader field. After that, reference research you’ve done about opportunities at Georgetown that indicates why it’s the best place to pursue your goals. We recommend you mention at least two upper-level classes offered in the course catalog and one scholar with whom you’d like to study, research, or mentor.

Your goal here is twofold: demonstrate your open-mindedness, flexibility, and willingness to grow, and get across your “why” (why you need to study this subject at Georgetown as opposed to any other school).

APPLICANTS TO THE SCHOOL OF HEALTH: Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care at Georgetown University. Please specifically address your intended major (Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science).

While similar to the prompt above, the School of Health’s instructions are a bit broader. You’ll still need to specify your intended major from the three tracks offered, and you’ll want to point to specific courses, professors, and local research that interests you. In this case, the only difference is that the story of how you chose healthcare is allowed to be broader — it doesn’t hinge on a change in thinking but rather the development of your inclination toward healthcare however you see it.

APPLICANTS TO THE SCHOOL OF NURSING: Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care. Please specifically address your intended major Nursing.

This one’s almost identical to the School of Health essay, so you can use the same strategy. Just make sure that your research — and your passion for healthcare — refer to the nursing track rather than global health, healthcare management & policy, or human science.

APPLICANTS TO THE WALSH SCHOOL OF FOREIGN SERVICE: The Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems. What is motivating you to dedicate your undergraduate studies to a future in service to the world?

Once again, you need to give the backstory of how you became interested in foreign service work. After you have sketched your personal journey, tie in specific details about the Walsh School’s classes, faculty, and unique programs, especially as they relate to your stated interests. This is important . “Global problems” are, understandably, pretty gigantic and abstract, and no one can master everything. To strengthen your application to Georgetown’s foreign service program, you should define your niche by showing that you are knowledgeable in a specialized area — that might be a global problem as it manifests at a local level or a subtopic within international relations.

APPLICANTS TO THE MCDONOUGH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives. Please discuss your motivations for studying business at Georgetown.

Last but not least, we’ve got our future wolves of Wall Street. The McDonough School of Business asks about your motivations, which means you should not only give your background (how you came to have a passion for entrepreneurship) but should articulate what you plan to focus your study on and how this degree will aid the vision you have for your future.

Let’s face it, “motivations” is a loaded word, and you need to share your intentions — not just what you plan to do, but why you want to do it. In other words, it’s not a great look to say you want to start paving your way toward an elite Masters in Business program so you can get filthy rich. This prompt highlights “ethical, analytical, financial, and global” lenses to hear what applicants have to say about how business analysts and economists conceive of their work as having an influence on, and being influenced by, the quality of life on a societal and individual level, the relationships between sectors and countries, and the nuances of policy and regulation, just to start. These frameworks are not random, so make sure that your essay relates your motivations to the perspectives they’ve listed in the prompt.

When looking at these five secondary prompts, dare we say… “same, same, but different?” We do. Yes, each school has a slightly different preamble and approach to the question, but ultimately all five essay options want to know why this field and, implicitly, why this field at Georgetown?

Scanning the Georgetown application might be intimidating at first, but in the end a great supplement is a pretty simple recipe. You’re just telling admissions what you already know: why Georgetown is ideal for achieving your aspirations, and why you’d be a wonderful addition to the Hoyas.

Looking for specialized help on school-specific supplements? Reach out to us today.

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Applying to law school requires you to showcase your writing skills in the form of statements, essays, short-answer questions and other documents.

Every applicant must submit a personal statement, résumé and letters of recommendation, and most law schools offer applicants the opportunity to submit additional information about themselves in the form of optional essays. Although these essays are termed “optional,” it is actually in your best interest to submit any essay for which you can articulate a strong, well-drafted response that provides relevant additional information.

The most common two types of optional essays are: (1) a diversity statement and (2) a “Why ‘X Law School’?” essay. Some law schools may provide additional prompts to which you are permitted to respond. For example, Georgetown Law offers applicants the choice among four prompts for an optional 250-word essay (e.g., “How would your friends describe you? Did they miss anything?”) as well as the option to submit a video statement in place of an essay. Michigan Law suggests eight essay topics, and applicants are permitted to submit up to 2. Regardless of the nature of the essays, consider them an opportunity to round out your application and provide another writing sample.

Guidance to the Application Documents

The personal statement is your opportunity tell law schools about yourself and paint a picture beyond your academic credentials. The statement should provide the reviewer with insights about the applicant and the applicant’s interest in pursuing a legal education. Applicants often use the personal statement to provide further insight into their personality, background, personal interests, or matters that are not fully present in other parts of the application.

The personal statement must be the applicant’s original work in their own words. Each school has guidelines that govern requirements for length, but generally it should be no more than two double-spaced pages. The personal statement must be included with the application at the time of submission. The personal statement’s header must include the student’s name, LSAC account number, and be titled “Personal Statement.”

• Purdue OWL - Writing the Personal Statement
• Admissions Essays - Sample Personal Statements

Most law schools will require two letters of recommendation and many show a strong preference for academic references for applicants, unless you are more than five years out of college.

Requesting Letters

In requesting a letter of recommendation, your goal should be to contact someone who knows you over a period of time and thinks well of your work. Try to reach out to professors and supervisors who have seen you in either academic or professional contexts and can readily compare your work with that of other students, including previous and current GW applicants. Settings in which your writing, communication, research, and analytical skills are being utilized and observed are usually best. This person should be both willing and able to take the time to write a thoughtful and thorough evaluation. If the recommender is well-known in his or her field, this can be an added plus, but only if the other factors are there. In other words, it is preferable to have a strong, detailed letter of recommendation from someone who knows you well than a few lines from a famous professor who can say very little about you specifically.

When asking for letters of recommendation, it is important to get a genuine sense whether he or she is indeed willing to write for you. Your request should be phrased in such a way that, if the potential recommender does not feel comfortable writing for you, he or she can gracefully decline. Pressuring someone to write a letter for you is likely to result either in a lukewarm or qualified recommendation, which ultimately may do more harm than good. A tactful question, for example, might be, "Do you feel you know me well enough to write a strong letter of recommendation supporting my applications to law school?" With that in mind, you should aim to make this request in person if possible; if not, then a phone call is appropriate. Only if no other way is feasible should you ask someone by email to write you a letter of recommendation.

Once he or she agrees to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf, it can be helpful to discuss your academic interests and your career plans with your recommender. Letters are most effective when the writer can describe you as being well-suited to a particular goal. Remember that career goals are a work in progress and that you can easily discuss your general interests, as well as specific plans, depending on your situation. Your recommender will also be curious about your background. To that end, providing an updated resume, current transcript, and any other relevant information is usually very helpful.

Once your recommender agrees to write on your behalf, it is always useful to mention your timeframe and, if necessary, a general deadline by which you would like this letter submitted. Giving a recommender at least 3-4 weeks to write a letter on your behalf is a good rule of thumb. Be sure to be as flexible as possible, while still maintaining a realistic sense of when this task must be completed. After the initial request has been made, you should feel free to follow up appropriately, but not excessively.

Sending Letters of Recommendation

Since most law schools give more credibility to confidential recommendations, we strongly suggest that you indeed waive your right to view your letters of recommendation.

All law schools will accept letters of recommendation from the LSAC's Letter of Recommendation (LOR) Service. If your letters of recommendation are being sent directly to LSAC, please make sure to provide your recommender with the corresponding LOR Form and a stamped envelope addressed to LSAC to expedite this process. It is your responsibility to keep track of the status of your letters of recommendation.

Once your letters of recommendation arrive at LSAC, you will be asked to direct your letters on file to individual law schools through the LOR Service; you will make that determination based on each law school's required number of letters, or the applicant's desire to target certain letters to certain law schools. It is not at all necessary to have targeted letters of recommendation for specific law schools, though if it's appropriate in your situation, then it is certainly an option.

Addenda (addendum is the singular noun form) are optional law school application attachments used to briefly explain questionable content or inconsistencies disclosed in the application. In the addendum, you can take the opportunity to explain something in your background that may be perceived by law school admission committees as a “weakness.” Criminal activity or a drastic change in GPA from one semester to another are examples of why a student may consider including an addendum in their application.

Law schools definitely review application addenda. While the addenda can certainly help address questionable items in an application, applicants should not rely on an addendum to cancel out the effect of a low GPA or LSAT score.

Use the opportunity to be honest, transparent, and to show the committee that the issue you are highlighting is not an accurate reflection of your academic potential or character. Show integrity by disclosing the full story of your situation, explain your behavior concisely, and accept responsibility for how your conduct impacted you and others. You may want to speak to what you have learned from these experiences and what changes have occurred that will support your ability to be successful in law school and beyond. Follow the formatting guidelines provided by each school to which you are applying.

• TopLawSchools Guide: How to Write an Addendum

A diversity statement is a common type of optional essay that encourages applicants to reflect on any personal diversity that they may contribute if selected as a member of the incoming class. The most important thing to realize is that “diversity” is interpreted broadly by law school admissions offices and is not limited to race or ethnicity. Diversity includes any element of your identity, circumstances, or experiences that you believe may give you a diverse perspective from fellow classmates or a different lens through which you view the world.

Relevant types of diversity may include (but are not limited to) race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religious identification, sexual orientation, military experience, single parenting, nontraditional age, underrepresented major (e.g., STEM majors) or first-generation student status. It is not, however, sufficient to merely identify a type of diversity. You should go one step further and articulate (1) how that diversity has impacted you personally and (2) why it may give you a unique perspective that enriches the law school class. It is not easy to articulate why your diversity matters, so it may take significant time to prepare a solid first draft. If you don’t feel that you have a meaningful type of diversity, then don’t submit a diversity statement. More importantly, don’t stress about not submitting a diversity statement! It is truly an optional statement and you will not be penalized for choosing not to submit one.

Many law schools offer applicants the opportunity to use a separate “Why ‘X Law School’?” essay in order to articulate specific reasons why the applicant believes the school would be a strong fit.

Presumably, if you are applying to a school, there were reasons that led you to apply to that school above other similarly situated law schools. If a school permits such an essay, you should make the effort to write one.

Start by identifying your actual reasons for applying, then do more research. What classes would you be most interested in taking? What clinics interest you? Does the school have a particular focus or philosophy that you appreciate (e.g., law and economics, law in action)? Does the school place a significant number of graduates in the area in which you are most interested (e.g., public interest law, “big law”)? Does it have smaller class sizes than the average law school? By providing evidence of your strong interest in a school and of an appropriate fit, you can increase your likelihood of admission. So do your research, but don’t just regurgitate information from the website or other sources. Internalize the information, and reflect on why that information is important to you. If you truly can’t find something substantive to say about the school, reconsider applying there.

Here are some basic suggestions about preparing résumés and some sample résumés to use as examples. Please make an appointment with the GW Career Services Center professionals to review your draft résumé.

Berkeley Law Resources:

• What Is a Résumé?
• Effective Résumés
• Writing Your Résumé
• Résumé Suggestions
• Finalizing Your Résumé
• Sample Student Résumés (PDF) These are included as a PDF to preserve formatting, an essential element of effective résumé-drafting.

Presentations and Webcasts

• Video: 1L Résumé Workshop (2021)
• Video: 1L Résumé Workshop (2020)
• Mac users: Download PowerPoint version or download Flip4Mac , a free file converter that will allow you to view .wmv files in Quicktime
• Mac users: download the PowerPoint version .

Georgetown Essay 2023-24

Georgetown supplemental essays 2023-24.

Supplemental essays are an important part of every college application, and Georgetown is no exception. Each Georgetown essay is an opportunity for applicants to share something unique about themselves with the admissions team. Especially when applying to such a competitive university, the Georgetown supplemental essays could be a deciding factor in your application. However, don’t let the Georgetown supplemental essays stress you out! The best way to write an outstanding Georgetown essay is by preparing early and following some useful guidelines. 

In this guide to the Georgetown supplemental essays, we’ll go over how to respond to each Georgetown essay. We’ll also fill you in on some of the other Georgetown requirements you’ll encounter during the application process. And, we’ll provide some insight into just how much weight these Georgetown essays hold when it comes to admissions decisions. 

But first, let’s learn a little bit more about the university!

Georgetown Admissions: Quick Facts

Georgetown university quick facts.

• Georgetown Acceptance Rate: 12% – U.S. News ranks Georgetown University as #22 in its National Universities list.
• 1 half-page (~250 word) essay
• 1 full-page (~500 word) essay
• 1 full-page (~500 word) school-specific essay
• Georgetown Application Note: All Georgetown essays will be submitted through the university’s application portal. Georgetown applicants will not use the Common Application or Coalition Application when applying. 
• #1 Georgetown Essay Tip: Use each Georgetown essay as an opportunity to highlight a new personal trait, value, skill, or talent. Your Georgetown supplemental essays should provide new information and important context to your application narrative.

Does Georgetown have supplemental essays?

Yes! There are three required Georgetown University supplemental essays. Each of the Georgetown essay prompts allows students to further expand on a new theme. The word count for each of the Georgetown University supplemental essays varies from half a page to one full page (single-spaced). 

Later, we’ll get into the Georgetown essay prompts in more detail. For now, keep in mind that each essay should showcase why you’re a perfect fit for Georgetown. So, you’ll want to think about all the reasons why you’re interested in this university specifically. Then, you’ll want to find ways to relate them to your own unique experiences and skills. 

How many essays does Georgetown require?

As we mentioned, there are three Georgetown supplemental essays that all applicants are required to answer. Since Georgetown has its own application (they don’t use the Common App or Coalition App), students will need to write all new essays. What we mean by that is you won’t be using your personal statement from the Common App. However, that being said, there is a Georgetown essay prompt that is similar to the personal statement. So, you may be able to adjust your personal statement essay and incorporate these topics/themes into your Georgetown essay. 

The remaining two Georgetown essay prompts may seem familiar as they are similar to many other college essay prompts. One is a school-specific essay where you might draw on aspects from a “why major” or “why school” essay. Ultimately, the prompt you respond to will depend on your major of choice, as each school has a different one. 

The other Georgetown essay is similar to an extracurricular activities essay. Students will need to dive deeper into their interests, values, and goals in order to comprehensively respond to this prompt. 

Georgetown Essay Prompt – Talents & Skills

Georgetown Essay One asks you to reflect on your skills and talents, along with your background and identity. That being said, this is not the only Georgetown essay prompt where you can touch on these aspects of your personality. Thinking about your unique skills and talents and how they’ve shaped your future educational goals will be beneficial to answering all of the Georgetown supplemental essays. 

Remember, there is no personal statement in the Georgetown application, and that is simply because they don’t use the Common App. However, there is a similar prompt in which students are asked to write a personal or creative essay. Let’s take a look at the actual prompt. 

Georgetown University Essay Prompt #1

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your own background, identity, skills, and talents. (approximately 1 page, single-spaced)

This essay could be qualified as a cultural diversity essay, a talents and skills essay, and even a personal statement. There are certainly many routes applicants could take when writing this Georgetown essay—one of those is expanding upon their unique skills and talents. 

Additionally, students will need to write a school-specific Georgetown essay. Below are the Georgetown essay prompts for each of the schools.

Georgetown University Essay Prompt #2

Georgetown college:, a liberal arts education from the college of arts & sciences involves encounters with new concepts and modes of inquiry. describe something (a class, a book, an event, etc.) that changed your thinking. (applicants to the sciences, mathematics, public policy or languages are encouraged to include examples related to that field.), school of health:, describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care at georgetown university. please specifically address your intended major (global health, health care management & policy, or human science)., school of nursing:, describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care. please specifically address your intended major nursing., walsh school of foreign service:, the walsh school of foreign service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems. what is motivating you to dedicate your undergraduate studies to a future in service to the world, mcdonough school of business:, the mcdonough school of business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial, and global perspectives. please discuss your motivations for studying business at georgetown..

As with Essay One, this essay will be approximately 1 page, single-spaced. When completing the school-specific Georgetown essay, you’ll want to consider your academic skills and talents. How do they apply to the major and school of your interest? Why do those unique abilities make you a perfect candidate for that school?

Next, you’ll see how the Georgetown Short Essay prompt also allows you to consider your interests, talents, and skills. 

Georgetown Essay Prompt – Summer Activity

The shortest of the Georgetown supplemental essays is the summer/extracurricular activities essay. Applicants will have approximately half a page to expand upon a school or summer activity that has played an important role in their lives. Here is the prompt: 

Georgetown University Summer Activity Essay Prompt

Briefly (approximately one-half page, single-spaced) discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved..

It’s important to comprehensively respond to each of the Georgetown essay prompts. For example, this Georgetown essay needs to show the meaning behind the activity in which applicants have been most involved. Basically, even though you may have had an extremely impactful experience volunteering at an elderly home one afternoon unless it’s something you consistently do, you won’t want to write about it here. 

When brainstorming, start with your biggest commitments. What activity have you been the most involved in? Why has it been so impactful to you? Think about what made you commit so much time to this particular activity. What have you gained from it? Has it shaped your future education and career goals? What skills have you acquired from taking part in the activity? 

If you’re curious, involved, and have something you’re passionate about, the challenge in writing this essay won’t be answering these questions; it will be doing so in just half a page. Keep in mind that Georgetown has a large club culture on its campus. So, they’re looking for students who are going to get involved and take advantage of the hundreds of organizations on campus. In your essay, aim to show that you’re an active participant in your particular community. 

How to write the Georgetown supplemental essays

Think of each Georgetown essay as a piece of a puzzle that when put together will complete your application narrative . A well-written Georgetown essay will provide new information while answering each of the Georgetown essay prompts in its entirety. When considering how to write the Georgetown supplemental essays, and ultimately how to get into Georgetown, you’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to dedicate to each of the three Georgetown essay prompts. 

Looking at Georgetown essay examples (or any college essay examples ) will also help you get inspired before writing. When reading Georgetown essay examples, you’ll note there is no singular formula for answering these prompts. You can read a Georgetown essay example here and find prompt-specific tips in our previous Georgetown University Supplemental Essays guide . 

Now, here’s some advice for how to approach each of the Georgetown Essay prompts.

Responding to the school or summer activity essay

If you have an extracurricular activity that you’ve been doing for a long time, then this may be an easy Georgetown essay for you to write. You’ll want to explain why the activity has been so meaningful to you. This means diving deep into its significance in your life. 

Have you found out that you love writing by working on the school newspaper? Or maybe you’ve been able to fuel your intellectual curiosity through having been a member of the robotics team. Perhaps you will focus on your summers spent working as a camp counselor and the leadership skills that you gained from doing so.  

Go beyond the superficial with this (and every) Georgetown essay. The impact of the extracurricular activity is much more important than the activity itself. Truly consider how it’s shaped your personality, values, skills, or goals. And, if you feel like it is central to your experience, consider touching on a challenge you’ve faced or a specific opportunity you took advantage of.

Responding to the cultural diversity or “personal statement” essay

This one-page Georgetown essay will be similar to the personal statement in the Common App. However, you won’t have multiple essay prompts to choose from. Essentially, this Georgetown essay will be a combination of a cultural diversity and personal statement essay—a sort of hybrid take on each. Let’s take a look at the prompt again: 

Consider the important aspects of you as a person that you haven’t yet had the opportunity to highlight within your application. What would you like to mention and how will it make you an even more competitive candidate? Consider your personal experiences, background, culture, identity, skills, and talents. What has had a large impact on shaping you as a person? How will you bring what you’ve learned from those experiences to the “diverse community” at Georgetown? Make sure you speak to something that has been meaningful and impactful for you. A successful Georgetown essay will exude passion—and that can’t be faked!

Rather than writing about something you think admissions wants to hear about, write about something that is truly important to you. Note that the prompt specifies you can write a “creative essay.” So, if you love writing, then let your creativity and imagination go wild here. However, don’t get so carried away that you forget to stay on topic and answer the prompt. 

Responding to the school-specific essay

These Georgetown supplemental essays are an opportunity to explain what has drawn you to a specific course of study. Again, you’ll need to answer the school-specific Georgetown essay prompt that pertains to you. However, almost all of them will want you to reference certain experiences, skills, or interests that have led you to your school of interest. 

This essay is a combination of a “why major” and “why school” essay all in one. Why do you belong in that particular school and program at Georgetown? If you know your specific major interests and career goals, feel free to mention them! 

Looking at Georgetown essay examples and tips may help you in crafting your own essay. Additionally, you might want to check out these Georgetown majors before starting this school-specific Georgetown essay.  

Does Georgetown care about essays?

So just how important are your Georgetown supplemental essays when it comes to your “how to get into Georgetown” gameplan ? Put simply—they’re very important. Georgetown admissions really does care what applicants write in their Georgetown essays. Georgetown is a top-ranking, competitive university with a low acceptance rate. Therefore, the candidate pool is full of many academically high-achieving students who can’t all be accepted. Most everyone will have impressive GPAs, rigorous course loads, ample extracurriculars, and high test scores. 

This is where each Georgetown essay can play a pivotal role in the admissions process. The Georgetown essays are opportunities to show the admissions officers just what makes you stand out from the crowd. These Georgetown supplemental essays should be uniquely yours—they shouldn’t read as though any student could have written them. This unique insight into your life helps admissions imagine the contribution you’d make on campus. Basically, with a holistic admissions process, they are an important factor in the admissions decision process. 

What is Georgetown looking for in essays?

Georgetown admissions does note that one of the most important criteria they consider is in fact academic performance. However, as we’ve mentioned, many academically high-achieving students apply. So, how can you set yourself apart from the rest?

Admissions carefully looks for students who will add to and benefit from the Georgetown campus community . They want students who care about being a part of something bigger than themselves. They place importance on traits such as motivation, resilience, and ambition when considering applicants. This is why with each Georgetown essay you’ll want to take your responses deeper than simply surface-level.

Go beyond the what of your experiences and think about the why behind them. Truly consider the meaning, significance, and impact that the experiences you choose to write about have had on you. This will help you to write impressive, passionate, and authentic Georgetown essays that can help to set your application apart.  

When is my Georgetown application due?

Even if you write incredible Georgetown supplemental essays, it won’t matter if you don’t submit your application and all of the Georgetown requirements on time. Applications have a tendency to sneak up on students, especially during a busy senior-year fall. So, when is the Georgetown application deadline? Well, that depends if you are applying early or not. 

Here are the Georgetown deadlines : 

• Early Action: November 1
• Regular Decision: January 10 

Consider that you need to complete all of the Georgetown requirements by the application deadline of your choosing. Since Georgetown has its own application portal, applicants will first submit a quick application that takes only a few minutes. Within a day of having done so, applicants will get instructions on how to submit the supplements and the rest of the application. 

Check out a full list of the requirements, deadlines, and decision result dates in order to best plan your application process. Additionally, read this article for important information about the application process at Georgetown. 

How do I make my Georgetown essays stand out?

With a 12% acceptance rate and a #22 spot on the National Universities list, you’re competing with top candidates when you apply to Georgetown. So, your essays are what will truly let your personality shine and allow admissions to envision you on campus. That is, of course, if you write some stellar Georgetown essays. 

The Georgetown University supplemental essays have distinct prompts. However, while the content may be completely different, the best Georgetown supplemental essays will accomplish similar things. So, how can you wow admissions with your Georgetown University essays?

Here are 3 tips for writing a memorable Georgetown essay:

Tips for A Memorable Georgetown University Essay

1. demonstrate skills that admissions values..

Admissions explicitly says on their website that they value students who show resilience, ambition, and motivation. Use your essays to demonstrate these qualities. Of course, don’t make up experiences or try to push yourself into a box trying to impress admissions. Draw on your personal experiences to show personal reflection, curiosity, and passion. 

2. Choose your topic carefully.

This goes for every one of the Georgetown essay prompts. It doesn’t necessarily matter what you write about, but rather what it means to you. Brainstorm ideas to come up with topics that show who you are. You’re aiming to impress admissions, but you also want to be authentic. Choose topics that excite you and display your unique qualities. 

3. Get creative.

Ideally, you’re captivating your reader right from the start. Spend time coming up with a hook or choosing an engaging anecdote to immerse the reader in your essay. The Georgetown supplemental essays shouldn’t read as an objective, academic essay. Feel free to get creative and show off your writing skills; just make sure that you fully answer the prompt!

CollegeAdvisor has plenty of resources to help you prepare for application season! Check out this webinar in order to better understand what Georgetown looks for in applicants. You’ll get helpful tips on how to complete your application from former admissions officers. 

Georgetown Essay – 5 Takeaways

In this Georgetown Essay guide, we’ve gone over the required Georgetown essay prompts that all applicants will need to complete. If you’re considering how to get into Georgetown, know that academics and the Georgetown supplemental essays play an important role in the admissions process. No matter your approach, the best way to get ahead and write a captivating Georgetown essay is by giving yourself plenty of time to do so. 

Since we’ve covered a lot of information in this Georgetown Essay guide, here are 5 Key Takeaways:

5 Key Takeaways for a Georgetown University Essay Guide

1. georgetown university has its own unique application portal..

This means that your school-specific, personal, and extracurricular activities essay will each be submitted via the university’s application portal. Make sure you submit the first part of the application as soon as possible in order to be able to set up an account and get started on your supplements!

2. There are 3 required Georgetown essays.

While all students will respond to two of the same Georgetown essay prompts, the third will vary depending on the school you’re applying to. However, you don’t need to be 100% sure of your major to write a great school-specific essay. The purpose of this Georgetown essay is mainly to learn more about your academic interests and future goals.

3. Georgetown is a competitive institution.

This means every part of your application matters! Yes, academics and extracurriculars are important, however, so are your essays. Be mindful of the topics you write about in your Georgetown supplemental essays. Each Georgetown essay should add new information to your application that complements your candidate profile. 

4. Complete all the application requirements.

No matter how wonderful your Georgetown essays are, it won’t matter if admissions never reads them. Make sure that you know all of the requirements needed to complete the application. Give yourself plenty of time to get letters of recommendation and write your Georgetown essays. 

Your Georgetown supplemental essays should reflect who you are. Be genuine when writing your essays. Show you are a self-reflective, ever-evolving, and curious human being. Of course, think carefully about what traits, values, and experiences you want to highlight in your application. Show the best parts of who you are and how you’d enrich the campus community.

Writing the Georgetown University supplemental essays can be a stressful part of the application process. But, you’re certainly not alone! CollegeAdvisor has plenty of Georgetown-specific resources such as this webinar to help you craft a competitive application. Remember that reading Georgetown essay examples will help you get inspired to write your own. Of course, when reading Georgetown essay examples, personal statement examples , or any other essay examples, don’t try to mimic stories or ideas. Simply use them as inspiration and motivation in order to tell your story.

We hope this guide has given you some helpful insights into how to craft your Georgetown supplemental essays – good luck!

This essay guide was written by Sarah Kaminski. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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Georgetown Supplemental Essay Examples

Coming up with essays for your college application can be hard, which is why reading over several Georgetown supplemental essay examples will help you greatly in composing your own series of essays. How to write a college essay can be dreadfully tricky, even with expert college essay tips , so being able to look at the final result of the handiwork of others can boost your confidence and make your own writing and re-writing processes much more enjoyable, relaxed, and open.

This article will cover the Georgetown supplemental essays, providing examples for each before wrapping up with a short section on general tips, as well as specific essay tips for Georgetown.

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Article Contents 10 min read

The georgetown supplemental essays.

All Georgetown applicants will be required to write one short essay (1/2 page) and two additional essays (1 page each). The first two are the same for all students, but the third depends on which program you are applying to; these requirements are contained within the prompts.

All Applicants

Short essay.

Length: approximately 1/2 page, single-spaced

Prompt: “Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.”

With this prompt, Georgetown is looking for something significant that indicates why you will be an excellent addition to their school. Pick an activity that shows off several good qualities in yourself. You might have something that showcases your leadership, good nature, sense of humor, and ability to adapt, for instance. Read our sample answer for an example of how to do this.

—Sparks literally fly, igniting the kindling, and bringing us one step closer to ghost stories and s’mores – my fire is the first one lit among the cabins, and there are cheers from the kids under my supervision. I can remember being one of those young campers, watching my counsellor make a fire. Now, I get to be the fire-maker, and it’s fun and thrilling to pass on the knowledge I have because of this camp.

The camp, named Camp Karha, is set in the forest, right on a lake, and it is as secluded and majestic as a person could ever want. I spent my summers here as a boy, and now, as a teenager, it is my summer job and obsession. I can’t wait to return every year. A big part of that involves pushing myself to learn more outdoor skills and imparting that knowledge to the campers.

Woodcraft is wonderful. There’s something truly special about taking raw materials and shaping them – often with nothing more than a pocketknife – into the tools we need and want, or just woodcarving little creatures and toys. I love being able to show the campers how to safely engage in woodwork.

Length: approximately 1 page, single-spaced

Slightly longer, in this essay, Georgetown is expecting you to more fully describe yourself and what you think you can contribute to the diversity of the school, which they consider important.

Prompt: “As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.”

I’m eight years old. I love to sit outside and watch the stars at night. Even when I cannot see them, I still look up and hope they are there, looking down on me. The universe fills me with wonder, and I wonder if I will ever go up there some day.

I’m twelve, and somebody has told me that we are all made of the same star-stuff, just specks of gold and carbon that exploded out of nova-blasts – echoes of the Big Bang and the forces of physics. I hear this, and I wonder how people can be so mean to each other. I wonder this because of what happened to me last year.

The third essay requires a response to a specific prompt related to the school at Georgetown to which you are applying. We have provided one sample response here as an example, pertaining to the prompt for Georgetown College applicants.

Prompt: “What does it mean to you to be educated? How might Georgetown College help you achieve this aim? (Applicants to the Sciences and Mathematics or the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics should address their chosen course of study).”

Length: approximately 1 page, single-spaced.

It’s impossible to be educated but necessary to try.

Education is a process, through which a person can move forward in their understanding – of other persons, of themselves, of the universe and natural world, and of life. Any one of these subjects is vast and overwhelming enough to provide a lifetime of potential learning, never reaching the fullness of understanding in any one category. “Mastery” of a subject is therefore ironic at best, if not an absurdist joke.

I don’t mean to say that a person cannot develop expertise or understanding; rather, “to be educated” is perhaps a stray goal. To “be educated” is not an achievement in the past tense, but a state of being – an active condition.

People change, as do the times we live in, as well as our total understanding of the universe. How can we truly finish learning? This is an integral part of my personal philosophy, and this philosophy is what drew me to apply to Georgetown’s Faculty of Language and Linguistics in the first place.

The FLL is described as follows: “… fostering international understanding is particularly embodied in the teaching and learning of other languages and cultures…” This is exactly what I am driving at: continuous understanding and a constant vigilance with respect to personal education are necessary. I hope to achieve that through studies with the FLL.

I hope to major in Classical Greek and make a study of the texts and ideas that shaped Western civilization. But, in keeping with the spirit of my philosophy, and the philosophy and telos of the FLL’s program, I also want to take courses in Arabic.

While these are by no means the only cultural origin points in our world, they are major centers of Eastern and Western thought, and learning about both simultaneously will help me understand more of our globe than I could with either language by itself.

I have already studied the stories of Greek and Arab cultures, albeit through translations, and I look forward to learning about these cultures in their own words. I have a job with a travel agency, and I hope to make pilgrimages to Greece and the Middle East to witness firsthand the birthplaces of so much of our modern civilization.

Ultimately, I would like to become a teacher to share my findings with students and to benefit future generations with this fusion of humanity.

Of course, I will never be educated – past tense – but I will continue to allow myself to be educated. I am being educated and will be educated by all I encounter. I believe this process is true now, as I learn from ancient texts and my teachers. I believe it will be true when I travel to other countries and learn from the land and the people of those countries. I hope it will still be true when I am a teacher, even on the verge of retirement, learning from my students how to educate myself and keep up with the times.

To be educated is impossible, but being educated is a lifelong gift.

One of the following prompts will replace the Georgetown College prompt if you are applying to one of these schools. While we have not provided examples for these, we wanted to make sure you still had access to the prompts.

\u201cThe McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial, and global perspectives. Please discuss your motivations for studying business at Georgetown.\u201d ","label":"Prompt for the McDonough School of Business","title":"Prompt for the McDonough School of Business"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

General Essay Writing Tips and Tips for Georgetown’s Essays

Use a standard essay writing format, composed of an opening paragraph, a “body” of three or four paragraphs, and a conclusion of one or two brief paragraphs. Keep in mind that Georgetown has two main essay lengths: half-page and full-page. You’ll need to shorten or lengthen each section accordingly. For example, if you’re writing your full-page essays, you can have a regular, full paragraph introduction. But, if you’re writing the half-page “short” essay, you should reduce the text to succinct and short paragraphs.

The opening, how to start a college essay , needs to set up the rest of the essay by introducing the subjects you will be writing about and providing the reader with a “hook” sentence to kick it off. This hook must be arresting, to the point where even a non-Admissions Committee member would want to keep reading. Check out college essay introduction examples for some additional help in writing your introduction.

The body of the text should consist of several paragraphs that support your main point. Stick to one or two key ideas so that you can build your essay around them. You don’t have a lot of space to talk about your points, so you should make the most of the room you do have.

Working on your Common App essay or personal statement too? Check out this video for tips:

The conclusion at the end should wrap up whatever you “promised” your reader in the opening paragraph. If you spoke about a particular struggle you had, for example, you need to “pay that off” at the end.

There is an additional section in the Georgetown application, which asks any applicant to “Please indicate any special talents or skills that you possess.” Note that this is not expected to be an essay; simply list the skills, abilities, talents, or anything else that you can do that are not apparent from your other answers, essays, and resume.

The word limit for Georgetown essays is loose. By restricting you to a half page or whole page, they are essentially telling you that you don’t need to worry precisely about how many words or characters you’ve typed up. That doesn’t mean you can ramble or go over the limit! You need to respect limits, even if they aren’t as precise as a character count.

What you should focus on is being a good writer who gets their point across efficiently. Show your readers that you don’t need 1,000 words to say something. The half page should be approximately 325 words, and the whole page should be somewhere around 650. Obviously, there is wiggle room, but respect your readers’ time and give them a polished piece.

Read up on as many expert college essay tips as you can so you can deliver the best essay you have in you.

Check out these college essay examples to help you with your own writing.

With these ideas and prompts under your belt, you’ll be able to strike off on your own essay writing journey with confidence.

This means that you don’t need to stick to a standard genre or style. You might try writing in blank verse, rhyming couplets, metaphor, or as a story. If you are going for a creative essay, feel free to explore different ways to express your thoughts. Do keep clarity in mind, however; you don’t want to run completely amok and wind up focusing so much on creative expression that you forget to include clear points to convey your message to the admissions committee.

Georgetown’s limits are given in terms of half or full pages, not words. They are to be typed and single-spaced. The instructions use the word “approximately,” which means that whether you fill a page with many shorter paragraphs or only a few longer ones, you’ll be “correct” and within the limit. The limit is flexible.

Err on the side of fewer words, because brevity is the soul of wit – so runs the received wisdom – and if you can write up a swift, effective essay, that’s better than rambling on without saying much. Although Georgetown doesn’t have a word count, they will still expect tight writing.

This might differ from school to school, but essays submitted through the Common App can be modified after submission. With Georgetown, this is done through the Application Change Form . In the case of a replacement essay, note that you need to include the prompt, and the previous essay will still be read in addition to the replacement. In other words, try to be as certain as possible before you click the “submit” button.

Very important. Your transcripts and high school resume might tell the admissions committee who you are in terms of raw numbers, but essays can tell them so much more. Essays reveal your character and show off your uniqueness. Take advantage of this opportunity and express your unique, individual self. This is invaluable, as it allows you to bring something more than pure numbers to the table.

No. They aren’t about grades; they’re about introducing yourself to the admissions committee. If you work hard and follow expert advice, these essays will show you to be the ideal candidate and somebody the committee wants to meet – but grades aren’t entering into it.

Schools often have very similar essays. A good idea is to figure out all the essays for every school you’re applying to and then see if some overlap. You can save a lot of time if you can tweak secondary essays from one school so that they will be tailor-made for another. However, if you do this, be careful to ensure that every detail is accurate for each school, including any mention of the school’s name or programs!

We encourage you to engage with at least four and up to ten schools to increase your chances and focus enough time on each application without feeling overwhelmed.

It’s better to talk about a time you learned, and grew, as a result of failure. Discussing failure alone is of no value but talking about failing and coming back from that failure stronger and with lessons demonstrably learned for the future will show you in a very positive light, indeed.

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August 6, 2024

Georgetown University Supplemental Essay Prompts: 2024-2025

Georgetown University has released its 2024-2025 admissions essays for applicants to the Class of 2029 . The Jesuit institution, which has for years bucked the trend of joining The Common Application , asks applicants to respond to three essays in addition to one essay that is school-specific within the broader university. So, what are this year’s essay prompts? Hint, hint: they’re the same as last year’s. Let’s dive in!

2024-2025 Georgetown Essay Topics and Questions

Essay prompts for all georgetown applicants.

All Georgetown applicants must answer the following three essay prompts

1. Please elaborate on any special talents or skills you would like to highlight (250 words) .

Applicants should focus on a skill related to the hook they’ve showcased in the activities section of their Georgetown application. After all, Georgetown’s admissions committee doesn’t care if an applicant can juggle. Even if the skill doesn’t relate to the student’s hook, the talent must showcase intellectual curiosity or it’s a wasted opportunity.

2. Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved (approximately 1/2 page, single-spaced) .

Applicants should shine a spotlight on one of their more meaningful activities. And, yes, this activity should relate to the student’s hook. If a student is interested in studying political science, the activity they write about for this essay prompt should not relate to physics. Georgetown’s admissions committee wants to see how applicants are going to make the world better in a small but meaningful way. As such, this is an opportunity to show rather than tell how they’ve done that to date through the prism of a specific extracurricular pursuit.

3. Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your own background, identity, skills, and talents. (approximately 1 page, single-spaced)

It’s unsurprising that unlike many of its peer institutions, Georgetown has made few changes to its application in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling outlawing Affirmative Action. After all, Georgetown’s longtime Dean of Admissions Charles Deacon is well known for his aversion to change. For example, it took a worldwide pandemic for the man to finally switch to notifying applicants of their decisions via the Internet rather than snail mail.

While this essay is similar to last year’s third essay prompt required of all applicants, the wording is slightly different. Unlike last year’s prompt, Georgetown has included “background” and “identity.” Last year, the prompt read, “As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.”

Now, keep in mind that some schools, like Johns Hopkins University , included bold language that very much capitalized on the loophole Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts penned in his majority opinion outlawing Affirmative Action , allowing schools to continue to consider a candidate’s race in context: “Nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.” Georgetown, unsurprisingly, didn’t go nearly as far in its language under its reluctant-to-modernize admissions czar — but it’s a step nonetheless.

Students need not be underrepresented minorities to answer this prompt powerfully. Students can instead write about their faith, community, or experiences, but we do encourage applicants who are underrepresented minorities to subtly make it clear since Georgetown, like all highly selective universities, continues to wish to admit a diverse class of students.

Georgetown School-Specific Essay Prompts

For the school-specific essay, irrespective of the school, the essay should not exceed one page, single-spaced.

Georgetown College of Arts and Sciences

A liberal arts education from the College of Arts & Sciences involves encounters with new concepts and modes of inquiry. Describe something (a class, a book, an event, etc.) that changed your thinking. (Applicants to the sciences, mathematics, public policy or languages are encouraged to include examples related to that field.)

Georgetown’s admissions committee wants to understand how an applicant thinks. Through a specific anecdote or anecdotes (no matter a student’s chosen field of study) — be it via a book, event, classroom discussion, lecture, or anything — it behooves applicants to shine a light on how they are filled with conviction. Yet, they’re also malleable to change when presented with better ideas. And, of course, it wouldn’t hurt to pepper — by showing rather than telling — the importance of the Jesuit tradition and, in particular, Cura personalis, in their storytelling.

McDonough School of Business

The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives. Please discuss your motivations for studying business at Georgetown.

This essay prompt presents applicants with an opportunity to share an origin story — as high schoolers rather than as children — for their interest in business. Ideally, the origin story traces to an activity featured in the student’s Georgetown activities section. And, of course, McDonough isn’t looking to admit future business titans just out for money. They want to understand how applicants will make the world better in a small but meaningful way. As such, McDonough applicants should infuse their essays with Jesuit traditions — and why they matter to them in business. And, yes, this essay should also be infused with Why McDonough and Why Georgetown specifics (and, no, name-dropping professors and listing classes don’t count as genuine specifics).

Walsh School of Foreign Service

The Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems. What is motivating you to dedicate your undergraduate studies to a future in service to the world?

Walsh is looking to learn the origin story of an applicant’s interest in foreign service — as high schoolers rather than as children. Through a specific anecdote or anecdotes, which ideally trace back to the student’s activities so they’re showing rather than telling, applicants should highlight how they hope to leave a mark on the wall in a way that can be actualized. Stopping climate change can’t be actualized. Incentivizing countries to be greener — based on specific research and insights — is much more doable.

School of Health

Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care at Georgetown University. Please specifically address your intended major (Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science).

Georgetown’s School of Health seeks to understand a student’s origin story, as a high schooler, for their interest in the disciplines under the School of Health’s umbrella. A grandparent becoming ill with breast cancer is not the way into such an essay since it’s all too common and doesn’t say enough about how a student thinks and how they wish to leave a mark on their field.

Instead, applicants should tell a small story that ideally relates to an activity they’ve participated in during high school, that showcases precisely why they want to contribute to the health field and how they hope to make a difference — and always in a small but deeply meaningful way.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Georgetown Essays

If you’re interested in submitting essays that will wow Georgetown’s admissions committee, fill out Ivy Coach ’s complimentary consultation form , and we’ll be in touch to outline our college admissions counseling services for seniors.

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4 Tips for Writing the Georgetown Supplemental Essays

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Alexander Oddo in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.

What’s Covered:

• Use Your Space Wisely

Focus on You

• Balance Creativity and Content

Georgetown University requires all applicants to respond to two supplemental essay prompts. This article will review tips on how to craft stellar essays and how to apply this advice to your writing. 

1. Be Concise

One of Georgetown’s supplemental prompts has a half-page word limit, which translates to about 200 words, while the other prompt has a one-page, or 350 word, limit. Since these essays are short, you will want to be concise with your language without sacrificing writing quality. 

An effective way to convey personality and reflection with your essays is to write a draft, set it aside for a day or two, and then reduce the word count with a fresh pair of eyes. Once you revisit your writing after a break, you will catch more areas that are longer than necessary or could be said in fewer words. 

2. Use Your Space Wisely

Another tip to keep in mind when writing shorter essays is that your introduction does not have to be as attention grabbing as it does when you’re writing a 650 word essay. In those essays, you can take a bit of time to build up to your first paragraph, while you ideally want to get right to the point in shorter essays. Aim to grab your reader’s attention immediately in your two Georgetown supplemental essays with just a few sentences of narrative. 

Furthermore, using long paragraphs is an effective way to give yourself more words to work with. Since these essays have a page limit rather than an exact word limit, writing with longer paragraphs than you usually would will allow you to fill your document with words rather than blank spaces. However, make sure that you do not make your paragraphs too long. You don’t want to fit your entire 350 word essay into one single paragraph. Your main goal should be to avoid very short paragraphs — especially those that are only a sentence or two.

3. Focus on You

Think of your Georgetown essays as a portfolio. The essays need to explore different aspects of who you are and why you are applying to Georgetown. These can include your academic interests, personal interests, specific resources that draw you to Georgetown, and your values.  

Essentially, you want to talk about what makes you tick inside the classroom and what you are passionate about outside of the classroom. The goal of your essays is to creatively and captivatingly explain to the admissions committee who you are as a person and student. 

4. Balance Creativity and Content

One thing to note is that Georgetown’s essay prompts are about relatively serious topics. In order to avoid making your essay too plain, you should inject some personality, levity, and humanity into your essays to balance out the serious parts. An effective way to do this is to take a few creative risks, such as crafting a snazzy introduction or even writing your essay as a poem if you feel inspired. So long as your creativity is authentic rather than forced, it will make your essays stand out without adding too many words. 

If you found this article helpful and are looking for more information on Georgetown’s supplements, check out this in-depth article on all of Georgetown University’s essay prompts and how to approach them.

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A Guide to the Georgetown Essays 2023-2024

October 23, 2023

Georgetown University continues to hold its place as one of the country's top universities. Securing admission to this esteemed school is no easy feat, as Georgetown boasts an acceptance rate of just 12%. Whether you aspire to join their renowned undergraduate business program or envision yourself achieving the same level of success as notable  alumni Bill Clinton and Bradley Cooper, one hurdle stands in your way: the Georgetown essays 2023-2024.

Unlike many other universities, Georgetown University does not utilize the Common Application or its personal statement prompts. Instead, they provide their own unique set of essays, designed to gain insight into your character and passions. Whether you're applying to Georgetown College, the School of Nursing and Health Studies, the Walsh School of Foreign Service, or the McDonough School of Business, crafting compelling responses to the Georgetown essays 2023-2024 is essential to setting yourself apart from the competition and positioning yourself as an indispensable candidate.

Georgetown Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

Please elaborate on any special talents or skills you would like to highlight. (250 words).

If you are really proud of one of your abilities, now is the time to show it. Georgetown wants students who bring a variety of backgrounds and interests, this essay is a good opportunity to show a new side of yourself. Your talent doesn’t have to be an external ability such as playing the piano or writing sonnets. Neither is it required that you have received an award for this talent!

You can write about an internal characteristic such as an easy facility for making friends with new people. Or it can be something quirky like being a phenomenal cartoonist. In fact, it is better if the skill you mention is unique because your Georgetown essays 2023-2024 need to establish you as a memorable candidate. For questions like this, you don’t want to answer with a typical talent, or an ambiguous characteristic. We can assure you that many of your peers are going to be talented writers, musicians, and singers. You need to bring your own exceptional spin. As for personal characteristics, asserting that a trait like kindness is your greatest asset is frankly boring and vague. Think about what differentiates you.

The main point of your essay should emphasize why this talent or skill is meaningful to you. Why are you particularly proud of this talent? Make sure you’ve addressed all parts of the prompt. Is it a natural skill, or did it take time to develop? Will you continue to use this talent in your future goals and career? What have you learned about yourself while pursuing this skill? Let the reader understand why this talent matters so much, and exactly why it’s an admirable ability.

Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (approximately 1/2 page, single-spaced) 

Each year, Georgetown receives thousands of applications from students with stellar grades. By asking such a question through the Georgetown essays 2023-2024, the school is interested to know the kind of impact you’ve made in your community in order to distinguish you from the rest of the applicants. The school wants to know what part of your current high school career holds the most significance to you and how that in turn will influence the way you contribute to the Georgetown community. By asking this question, Georgetown wants to know the type of leader you are, how you collaborate with others, and what you care about the most.

To think about the activity you want to elaborate on, take a look at your activities list. A question like this should highlight one of the extracurriculars listed at or near the top of your activities list. In the activities section, you only had 150 characters, including spaces to describe what you did. But if it truly is an activity that has mattered, there’s far more to say. Reflect on what kind of leader you were while participating in the activity, if it’s an initiative that you started, why it is important to you, and the people you connected with. Half of a page is about 250 words, so really focus your answer on the impact rather than spending too much time describing what you did as part of the activity.

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your own background, identity, skills, and talents. (approximately 1 page, single-spaced)

While the previous question highlights what you’ve done and how you’ve made an impact, this question attempts to get more to the core of who you are. Alongside evaluating your academic achievements, Georgetown especially considers your “accomplishments outside of the classroom, demonstrated commitment to the broader community, and personal qualities such as resiliency, motivation and, ambition are certainly considered.” They want to see whether you possess qualities that can not only uniquely add to the Georgetown community but benefit from it as well. 

It can be difficult to figure out where to even begin brainstorming this question — you can probably name a few different points or facets of your life that you consider core to your personality and character. To write this essay, it would be wise to write about the same topic as the Common App personal statement . Since Georgetown admissions officers won’t be looking at your Common App, it’s absolutely okay to draw from your personal statement, as that essay is also about a story that is completely unique to you. This prompt provides you with a chance to tell a story that doesn’t apply to 99% of other students. Your response could also focus on a part of your background that has shaped you or it could highlight an experience that you believe distinguishes you from your peers. The prompt also says you can get creative with your essay, so don’t be afraid to think out of the box. Unlike the Common App, which isn’t school-specific, you can even add a sentence or two at the end of this prompt as you’re only submitting this response to Georgetown!

School-Specific Prompts

Applicants to georgetown college:, a liberal arts education from the college of arts & sciences involves encounters with new concepts and modes of inquiry. describe something (a class, a book, an event, etc.) that changed your thinking. (applicants to the sciences, mathematics, public policy or languages are encouraged to include examples related to that field.).

In order to create a powerful and impactful response that truly captures your insatiable thirst for knowledge and unwavering eagerness to explore new ideas, it is essential to carefully select a class, book, or event that embodies these qualities. Reflect on an experience that not only challenged your preconceived beliefs and assumptions, but also compelled you to reassess your perspective and actively seek fresh approaches to problems. Use this opportunity to showcase your openness to intellectual growth and your ability to critically analyze your own viewpoints.

When reflecting on your experience, make sure to establish a strong connection between that encounter and the education you hope to receive at Georgetown's College of Arts & Sciences. Explore how this experience aligns with Georgetown's focus on nurturing critical thinking, interdisciplinary studies, and engagement with innovative ideas. Emphasize the ways in which this encounter has expanded your knowledge and enhanced your ability to think critically and creatively.

Remember to utilize vivid details and personal anecdotes to make your story compelling and unforgettable. By painting a vivid picture of your journey, you will engage the reader and allow them to connect with your transformative experience on a deeper level. Delve into how this transformative experience has impacted you as an individual. Reflect on the valuable insights you gained about yourself and how this change has influenced your goals, aspirations, or values. Express how this experience has shaped your character, broadened your perspective, and ignited a desire for personal and intellectual growth. This reflection will demonstrate your self-awareness and your ability to learn and grow from your experiences.

Georgetown highly values intellectual curiosity, a commitment to personal growth, and a desire to engage with novel ideas. Your essay should vividly demonstrate these qualities and illustrate how you would be an invaluable asset to their academic community. Showcasing your passion for learning, your ability to think critically, and your eagerness to contribute to the academic discourse will make you a standout candidate for admission.

Applicants to the School of Nursing and Health Studies:

Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care. please specifically address your intended major (health care management & policy, human science, global health, or nursing)..

Georgetown knows that all students applying to the School of Nursing and Health Studies have a passion for medicine, want to help people, and imagine a career for themselves in healthcare. This question asks you to dig deeper. What makes your specific interest in the field unique? The school wants to see that you have done your research on Georgetown’s nursing school specifically and understand the resources that make the college unique. 

In this essay — without overlapping with the previous question about who you are — you have to expand on a story related to your love for medicine that only applies to you. Lots of students may have been inspired by their own or their relatives’ illnesses, while others might have realized their calling for the profession through an internship junior year. Since you have about 500 words you can write in detail about how your interest in medicine originated, the ways in which you explored the interest further both academically and through extracurriculars, and then delve more into how your choice of major at Georgetown can help you reach your aspirations. Why Health Care Management & Policy, and why at Georgetown? Make sure the reader understands that you understand the school’s offerings and resources and that you’re ready to make the most of them.

Applicants to the Walsh School of Foreign Service:

The walsh school of foreign service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems. what is motivating you to dedicate your undergraduate studies to a future in service to the world.

The Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown is one of the best known schools in the world for studying international affairs. Admissions officers use this prompt to understand both your personality, character, and values. The School of Foreign Service wants to see where your priorities lie, what your goals are, and how an education in one of the school’s unique majors such as Regional and Comparative Studies and International Political Economy can help you get there. The school is looking for ambitious, open-minded, and curious individuals, and using this prompt among the Georgetown essays 2023-2024 can be an effective way of doing so.

If you’ve answered the 4th prompt among the Common App personal statement essays ( Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve.) , you can write a similar response here. Remember that while this question asks for a current global issue, you’re still writing supplemental essays for your application. This prompt is less about what problem you’ve chosen, and more about getting to know what’s important to you and how you react when faced with one. Moreover, since it doesn’t have to examine a problem the world has already solved, you can use this prompt to delve deeper into your academic interests, specifically within the Walsh School. Is your desire to end climate change connected with your selection of the college’s Science, Technology & International Affairs major? Carefully choose an issue that shows your personal stake, as well as conveys you as an individual aware of the world around them.

Applicants to the McDonough School of Business:

The mcdonough school of business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives. please discuss your motivations for studying business at georgetown..

As one of the top undergraduate business schools in the United States, the McDonough School wants to know how you hope to benefit from a business degree from Georgetown specifically. They want to know what you want from a business degree at this stage — how will you take advantage of Georgetown’s hands-on opportunities? What impact have you made on your community and what are you bringing to the classroom? How will you add to the diversity of your cohort?

The word limit allows you to go into details about discovering your love for not just business — but your specific interest in the discipline. Whether it’s marketing or accounting, ask yourself questions to start brainstorming exactly what motivates you. Was there one instance that catalyzed your passion and goals? How have you explored the subject of your interest since then? How has your curiosity about the topic grown? The majority of your essay should be dedicated to tying your interest in with what McDonough has to offer. Note which professor you can’t wait to learn from or a class that stands out to you on your way to becoming a future entrepreneur.

Additional Tips for Writing the Georgetown Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

Now that you’ve taken a look at the prompts for the Georgetown supplemental essays , here are a few tips to help your brainstorming process: 

• Don’t underestimate the power of your extracurriculars : Admissions officers want to know what makes you tick outside the classroom. Don’t just shrug off the first essay and repeat information word for word from what you’ve already included in your activities list. They want to know about your perspective and identity. Your activities could have shifted your views in a way that you might not have even realized before sitting down to write the essay. And you won’t be able to analyze their impact properly if you don’t look at them from a more nuanced angle.
• Research both the college of your choice and the university as a whole: While you definitely have to go in-depth to understand what makes the college of your choice within Georgetown special, it’s also essential that you understand what makes Georgetown unique. This means understanding its identity and values , researching its unique opportunities, and really knowing why you think you would be a good fit. The fit automatically shines through in your writing if you’ve worked to authentically connect your research to your interest in the school.

Georgetown University is a dream school for many students. Naturally, the competition is not easy. To help admissions officers understand what you can bring to campus and how the school can help you grow and thrive, take advantage of these prompts to explain what makes you unique. With the right amount of research, the extracurriculars and grades to back it up, and passion for your field of interest, you can give yourself a fair shot at this well-esteemed university.

If you are looking for a college admissions counselor to help maximize your chances of getting into your dream school, we can help! InGenius Prep has helped more than 6,000 students around the world gain admission into the most competitive schools including Harvard, Yale, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, NYU, and more. Sign up for a free strategy call today and join the 6,000+ students we've helped get accepted into their dream school.

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Updated: Ukraine hits Russia's Tuapse oil refinery, source confirms

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Editor's note: The article was updated with comments from the Kyiv Independent's source in Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR).

An oil refinery in the Russian town of Tuapse on the Black Sea coast caught fire after over 75 drones targeted multiple Russian regions overnight on July 22, local authorities said.

The strike against the refinery was carried out by Ukraine's military intelligence service (HUR), a source in the agency confirmed for the Kyiv Independent later the same day.

Russian Telegram channels claimed that the attack also started a fire near the Morozovsk airbase in Rostov Oblast .

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the reports.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its forces intercepted eight drones over Krasnodar Krai, 47 drones over Rostov Oblast, one each over Belgorod, Voronezh, and Smolensk oblasts, and 17 over the Black and Azov seas.

The eight drones targeting Krasnodar Krai have been shot down around Tuapse between 3:17 to 4:20 a.m. local time, local official Sergey Boyko claimed, saying that there were no casualties or damage.

During a second wave of attack later in the morning, drone debris fell on the territory of the Tuapse oil refinery, resulting in damage and a fire that has been later extinguished, the official said.

Russian Telegram channels said that Tuapse locals reported two series of loud explosions in the morning. The Shot channel shared footage of what appears to be an attacking drone and a plume of smoke rising over the targeted area.

The extent of damage is currently being determined, the Kyiv Independent's source said.

Rosneft's Tuapse refinery has been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian strikes over the past months. Following an earlier strike, the facility underwent an emergency shutdown in May.

According to the Kyiv Independent's source, the refinery produces 12 million metric tons of product per year, with around 90% of it being earmarked for export.

Ukraine has escalated attacks against Russia's oil industry, successfully reducing the processing capacities of multiple facilities.

The Astra channel also claimed that drones targeted the Morozovsk airbase, resulting in a fire in its vicinity. No further details on the possible consequences were provided at the moment.

Rostov Oblast Governor Vasily Golubev alleged that only dry vegetation caught fire as a result of the fallen debris, which was quickly extinguished.

The Morozovsk airbase has also been targeted by Ukraine before. A source in intelligence agencies told the Kyiv Independent in April that six warplanes stationed at the airfield had been destroyed in a Ukrainian attack.

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Students who will possess a U.S. baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, or the equivalent from a foreign institution, prior to matriculation are eligible to apply for admission. First year J.D. applicants may apply to the Full-Time Program , Evening Program , or both.

Students in the Full-Time Program complete their degree in three academic years, with most classes held during the day. Students in the Evening Program typically complete their degree in four academic years, but can request a flexible, accelerated program of three-and-a-half or three years. Students in both programs may register for courses during the day or evening during their upper-class years.

Before submitting your application, please review our application requirements  and upcoming deadlines .

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Wave of Ukrainian drone attacks deep in Russia raises global fears of escalation

Tactic shows 'russia's continuing inability to safeguard its own territory, infrastructure and people', says defence expert dr martin smith.

One of the largest oil refineries in Russia was hit in the early hours of Friday by a Ukrainian drone strike that caused a fire to break out, 100 miles from President Vladimir Putin’s infamous Black Sea palace.

The attack on Russia’s Tuapse oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai, along with another in the Russian city of Novorossiysk, is the latest in a wave of more than a dozen attacks that have inflicted significant damage on Russia’s oil and gas industry since early January, often striking far inside the border.

Russian air defences allegedly shot down 102 Ukrainian drones, including 44 over Krasnodar Krai, the country’s defence ministry claimed. Russian Telegram channels shared a video showing a fire and smoke rising over the town. Locals reported hearing air raid sirens and explosions.

Krasnodar Krai is located in southern Russia on the shores of the Black Sea, about 100 miles from Mr Putin’s notorious billion-pound palace.

Videos showing a Ukrainian UAV attack on Russia’s Tuapse oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai. https://t.co/j43TTvys9G https://t.co/ao0466GDBx https://t.co/TmuQMXpLjb https://t.co/ucgRrM4aKU https://t.co/mGcIP93ORA pic.twitter.com/RwClIB02Ew — Rob Lee (@RALee85) May 17, 2024

The refinery was one of several targets in a large overnight attack on transport and energy infrastructure, with an electrical substation damaged in Russian-annexed Crimea, local governor Mikhail Razvozhaev said on Telegram. He said there would be “isolated blackouts”.

Meanwhile, two people were killed in the Belgorod region, according to Reuters.

Dr Martin Smith, senior lecturer in defence and international affairs at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, said it is “clear that this tactic [of targeting energy infrastructure] is now an established part of Ukraine’s overall strategy […] and one that is of increasing concern to the Russian government, not just because of the potential economic and commercial disruption but equally because it shows Russia’s continuing inability to safeguard its own territory, infrastructure and people”.

Ukraine’s air offensive has divided international allies, with the US previously urging Kyiv to stop strikes on Russian refineries amid concerns about the impact on global energy prices – with Russia being the world’s second-largest oil exporter – and a possible escalation of the conflict.

“We used our drones. Nobody can say to us you can’t,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in response, following strikes inside Russian territory in late March.

There are some reports that lasst night's "massive strike" on Russian energy targets included included aerial drone, possibly missile and maritime drone strikes on Russian military targets in Sevastopol and Novorossiysk where facilities and ships of the Black Sea fleet are… pic.twitter.com/2VQw1toMmR — OSINT (Uri Kikaski) 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@UKikaski) May 17, 2024

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated that the US has “neither supported nor enabled strikes by Ukraine outside its territory”, during a trip to Paris in April.

UK pledges 650 short-range Martlet missiles – but Zelensky says it’s not enough

Dr Smith believes it is “very unlikely” that Ukraine will stop these strikes, adding that Nato governments are quickly recognising this. He referred to Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron’s recent comments indicating that the Government no longer opposes Ukrainian strikes inside Russia, along with the Biden administration’s decision to send Ukraine longer-range ATACMS missiles that can reach targets on Russian territory.

During a visit to Kyiv earlier this month, Lord Cameron said Kyiv could decide how they use British weapons. “Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it’s defending itself,” he said.

He added the country “absolutely has the right to strike back at Russia”, without directly endorsing the idea of British weapons being used for those strikes.

His comments followed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s pledge to give Ukraine £3bn in military assistance every year for the foreseeable future.

Russia’s ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, on Friday told the country’s Rossiya-24 state TV channel that Britain is a de facto participant in the Ukraine war because it supplies Kyiv with weapons and shares real-time intelligence.

The impact of the most recent strike on the Tuapse refinery in Krasnodar Krai is yet to be seen, however, a previous Ukrainian attack on Russia’s third-largest oil refinery in early April caused the price of Brent crude oil to climb above $89 (£71) a barrel – its highest level in six months.

Tuapse has an annual capacity of 12 million metric tons (240,000 barrels per day). It produces naphtha, fuel oil, vacuum gasoil and high-sulphur diesel, supplying mainly to Turkey, China, Malaysia and Singapore.

The setback for Russia comes as they appear to be making gains on the battlefield.

Russian forces have seized several villages in eastern Ukraine during recent advances, while Ukrainian intelligence officials believe Russia is gearing up for a summer offensive in the north-eastern regions of Kharkiv and Sumy.

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